Devil's Dance
by Saerry Snape
Summary: An alternate twist on the Halloween episode from Season Two. A different costume for Xander, our dear Zeppo, and some different results once the night's over.
1. Evil Vacuum

**Disclaimer:** BtVS and nothin' else mine. 'Cept the plot. Sorta. Eh… General Xander costume something else Halloween episode fic. Also note that some of the characters may sound a bit off as I haven't watched Buffy in a long while and am running off memory of what they sound like as well as fanfics. Chapter titles come from all three DMC OST's.

**Chapter 1 – Evil Vacuum**

"Damnit!" growled Alexander LaVelle Harris under his breath as a fifteen-year-old with really bad case of acne snatched up the last toy rifle. That completely shot to hell his idea of going as a soldier. Oh well. Guess he'd have to put those fatigues he'd bought to better use elsewhere…

Sighing, he turned and went off to look for another costume to wear when he took the kiddies out. He passed Jonathon as he browsed and shuddered as the other teenager held up a Darth Vader helmet like a trophy. Just the thought of the computer nerd as Vader made him wish to be somewhere else.

"Hey, Xander!" exploded Willow's voice by his ear then and he turned, surly expression immediately fading.

"Hey, Wills," he said cheerfully to his 'bestest-bud'. Willow Rosenberg had been his neighbor since they were kids and she knew all the little details he'd managed to keep hidden from Buffy and the others. Like his father's nearly unseen soberness and the bruises… "You find anything?"

Willow nodded and held up a bag that proclaimed itself by the cardboard tab stapled to it's top to be a ghost costume. Xander sighed mentally at this. Wills was hiding again for another Halloween…

"Nice," he said, keeping a smile on his face.

"What about you?" she asked, stuffing the costume back in her bag.

He frowned and replied, "Well, my soldier idea just got drop-kicked into Nothingdom since all the toy guns are gone. Don't know what I'm going to do now." Shrugging a bit, he then asked, "Where's Buffy?"

"Oh! She found a great dress! All 18th-centurish and stuff."

Xander wrinkled his nose at that and said, "Bah. I prefer my women in spandex."

"Xand!"

"What?" exclaimed Xander as the redhead smacked him lightly on the arm. "What did I do?"

"Being a guy," explained Buffy as she appeared, before mentioned dress in a bag tossed over her shoulder. "Ready, Will?"

"Yep!" chirped Willow, holding up her costume to show the vampire slayer. Buffy's green eyes looked helplessly at Xander, who shrugged then moved off to try and find himself a costume, leaving them to their own devices.

He briefly debated a pirate then decided against that when he saw Larry at the counter buying the same outfit. Ick.

Turning about quickly, he felt something sharp dig into his stomach. Yelping slightly and jumping back, he looked down and glared at the offending thing.

The thing turned out to be a sword – and a really odd looking one at that. He pulled it out of the box it was in along with two plastic automatic pistols and a white wig and looked at it in awe. The two-handed hilt curled into spirals on its way down from the cross guard, which was either a dragon's head or some kind of demon with its wings spread out on either side of it. From the mouth of the beast protruded a nearly twelve foot long plastic blade that made some of Giles' swords look incompetent.

He hefted the plastic blade in one hand and swung it, grinning a bit as he did so.

"I think I found my costume," he muttered to himself as he reached up and plucked the red and black ensemble that came with the sword off the rack.

* * *

Outside of Buffy's, Xander paused to straighten the dark red vest he wore over the black long-sleeve shirt underneath it. He then checked the two plastic pistols holstered on each hip and then the sword, which was slung through a neat sheath on the back of the long red coat.

Then, grinning, he walked on up the walk and onto the porch, leaning forward to press the doorbell with a black gloved hand.

It only took a minute for the door to open and he blinked, jaw dropped before he stood straight up and exclaimed, "Hail Buffy, Lady of Buffdom, Duchess of Buffonia! I completely renounce spandex!"

Buffy, her blonde hair covered by a dark wig, smiled and curtsied, saying, "Why, thank you, kind sir." She then straightened and frowned at him, asking, "Who are you supposed to be?"

Xander shrugged in response, causing the sword on his back to shift slightly.

"Dunno," he replied. "Shopkeeper guy said it's a character from some game they're considering making over in Japan. Looks neat though, don't it?"

"Yeah," said Buffy with a nod, eying the red and black clad young man standing on her doorstep. The only other color in the costume was the silver of one of the guns at his hip and the sword across his back. Not to mention the shaggy white wig he had covering his hair.

"So where's Wills?"

"Oh! Wait till you see her, Xand…"

Buffy trailed off as Willow came down the stairs, not in the black skirt and burgundy shirt of before, but the ghost costume she'd bought at Ethan's Costume Shop

"Damn," muttered Buffy, earning a sigh from Xander.

"Hi," said Willow meekly from under the sheet.

Xander forced a grin at her and said, "Nice 'boo' you got there, Wills," referring to the 'BOO!' in large letters on the front of her costume.

The sheet jumped as the redhead smiled then she asked, "Who're you supposed to be?"

"Video game character. Supposedly."

"Oh."

"Guess we'd better get going," said Buffy, looking disappointed that Willow had come down in the sheet instead of her original ensemble.

"Yeah," said Xander. He then grinned and pulled the sword out of its improvised sheath, waving it in the air. "To the school then, Lady of Buffdom and Ghost of Wills!"

The two girls laughed and Xander grinned, resheathing the sword (which he'd practiced doing since he'd bought the costume). Maybe the night wouldn't be a total fiasco after all…

* * *

_Jesus fuckin' Christ_, thought Dante as he pushed himself up off the pavement, lifting one hand to his aching head. _What the hell hit me?_

He then looked around and blinked, not recognizing the area. It wasn't his town, that was for sure. Too damn small.

_And where the hell am I?_

At a sound behind him he spun about, almost quicker than the mortal eye could see. Ebony and Ivory were in his hands so fast that they seemed to jump there and his blue eyes scanned the area for what had made the noise. Nothing jumped out at him and he frowned, lowering the two Desert Eagle's.

_What the hell's going on?_

"Xander!"

Dante turned slightly and arched a silvery eyebrow at the scantily clad redhead coming up behind him. His blue eyes raked her form up and down as she got closer and he smiled appreciatively. She wasn't as beautiful as his mother had been – nor some of the women he'd run into over the years – but she still was a sight to see.

"Evenin'," he said gruffly, holstering his guns.

The redhead blinked and mumbled, "Xander?" She then frowned and added, "You're not Xander…"

"Not when I last checked I wasn't," said the half devil. "Name's Dante."

"Willow."

Beautiful girl named after a tree. Thought he was some guy named Xander – and what kind of name was that, anyway? Some nutty shortening of Alexander or something?

"Right," he said. He then glanced about and asked, "You got any idea what's going on in this droopy little place?"

"I…I think everyone's turned into their costumes," replied the redhead. "Larry nearly jumped me, shouting something about a 'pretty wench'."

" 'Costumes?' " repeated Dante, arching an eyebrow again.

Willow nodded.

"It's Halloween."

"Uh-huh. And you were…?"

"A ghost," supplied Willow.

"Ghost of what?" asked Dante, eying her again. "Sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll? Not that that's a bad thing, mind yah."

The teenager blinked and looked down at her outfit, blushing immediately. She then stammered, "I…I…"

"Hey, don't worry about it, kid," said Dante. "Looks good on yah. You should wear it more often." He then looked around the area and asked, "So who's this 'Xander?'"

There was a long silence from Willow before she whispered, "He's you."

Dante's head snapped towards her and she jumped back as he barked, "Beggin' your pardon?"

"You were his costume," insisted the redhead. She then made to grab his arm and tug him towards a parked car – more specifically towards one of its rearview mirrors – but failed as her hands passed through him. He obligingly followed her over to the car instead and looked at her oddly for a long moment before he leaned down and looked in the mirror.

A second later he jumped backwards nearly four feet, snarling, "What the fucking hell is going on here!"

"Death," snarled a voice near his ear and he spun, Ebony and Ivory out in an instant. The Desert Eagle's buried themselves under the golden-eyed demon's chin and he spat, "Fuck you and the…"

"Xand – _Dante, no!_"

The leather clad half devil jerked towards the ghost girl and snapped, "What the hell do you want, Red?"

Willow took a small step away from him before mumbling, "That's a student."

Dante frowned and looked back at the demon – vampire, he saw now – and frowned.

"Great. Just fuckin' peachy."

With that he clocked the beast on the back of the head with Ebony's butt, sending the hapless student trapped in his costume to the pavement. As he holstered the guns, he frowned and looked at his empty hands. They really weren't his and this really wasn't his body…

Hell, that vamp really _wasn't_ the only student trapped in his costume. So was this kid, this…Xander. He hadn't believed it a second ago but now he sure as hell did.

"What the hell did I do to get caught up in this crap?" muttered Dante. He then looked at Willow and sighed, saying, "C'mere, Red. You've got a better idea of what's going on here than I do."

" 'Red?' " repeated Willow as she came close.

Dante reached out to pick out a lock of the red mass that was her hair but his hand just passed through it.

"The hair," he explained.

"Oh." The redhead then squeaked and exclaimed, "OhmiGodohmiGod! We have to find Buffy!"

"Who?"

"_Buffy!_ She's…have you ever heard of the Slayer? Girl, fights vampires, only one of them at the time, blah, blah, blah?"

Dante searched his memory and remembered the old guy he'd gotten Ebony and Ivory off of saying something about them once being the weapons of a Slayer – which was weird since most tended to stick with stakes and medieval weaponry. And he'd heard Trish mutter something about one a time or two whilst wandering around the Devil Never Cry. Beyond that, he had nothing.

"A bit," he replied honestly for some odd reason. If it had been anyone else standing beside him, he'd have told them 'no.' But something made him want to tell Red the truth. Hell, it might even be this Xander kid affecting him… "Lemme guess…this Buffy, she's…"

"The Slayer," supplied Willow. "And she…ohmiGodohmiGodohmiGod!"

"Whoa! Calm down, Red, and tell me what's going on."

"She bought this dress, kinda 18th-centurish."

"So know she probably thinks she's some chick crashing in the 1700's?"

Willow frowned at his choice of words then nodded. Dante frowned and cursed before saying, "Alright. Let's go find this Buffy and figure out what the Hell's going on. You with me, Red?"

"…yeah."

"Good," he said. "Let's go then."

Then that he strode off down the street with the ghost girl wandering along behind him, silently wondering what the hell he'd done to get dropped into this mess and how he was going to get out of it.

* * *

Rupert Giles wiped his glasses off and slipped them back onto his nose before he rose from his desk chair and moved to the kitchen to fix himself another cup of tea. As he did so, he heard grunting noises coming from somewhere outside and leaned forward to lift one section of the blinds covering the window over the sink.

Outside, a small cadre of monsters wrestled over a dog's battered carcass and the Watcher's eyes widened behind his glasses.

"Bloody hell…"

Tea forgotten, he rushed from the kitchen and grabbed his coat before racing from the house.

But not before turning back at the last minute and grabbing a sword from the weapons chest underneath his desk.

**Author's Notes**

I swear Dante's guns _are_ Desert Eagle's. The guns my Dante action figure came with match up with pics of Desert Eagle's that I looked up online (bless Google).


	2. Flock Off!

**Disclaimer:** BtVS and nothin' else mine. 'Cept the plot. Sorta. Eh… General Xander costume something else Halloween episode fic. Also note that some of the characters may sound a bit off as I haven't watched Buffy in a long while and am running off memory of what they sound like as well as fanfics. Chapter titles come from all three DMC OST's.

**Chapter 2 – Flock Off!**

"Jesus fuckin' Christ! Take a hint, you God damn gnats!" shouted Dante as he kicked a demon in the gut hard enough to send it flying twenty feet then turned to bash Ivory's butt down on a vampire student's head. He then turned towards Willow, who was frantically trying to calm down the Buffy chick.

The half devil sighed and scanned the area before looking back at the two females. It hadn't taken long to find the Slayer and when they had, they'd had to save her from a horde of demons and vampires. 'Course some of the vamps were actual one's and they'd gotten a nice piece of Ebony and Ivory's insides (with a bit of devil power mixed in) but the rest he'd had to deal with physically.

And still more were coming.

The pattern was beginning to annoy the half devil.

"DEMON!" shrieked 18th century Buffy suddenly and Dante turned in time to get a big, scaly demon fist in his jaw. He flew through the air but tucked his body and rolled, hitting the ground in a crouch. The big demon blinked then let loose a roar, charging at him.

Dante grinned ferally and growled, "Yeah. C'mon, big boy. Let's play."

"Dante!" shouted Willow warningly as he charged at the demon, guns at the ready.

_Fuck_, thought the half devil, remembering that this demon was just another hapless student. He then shrugged it off and stopped, planting one foot and swinging the other up and around in a roundhouse kick. His steel-toed boot caught the demon underneath its jaw and the momentum of the kick sent the beast flying across the road to land atop a parked car. Immediately the machines alarm began to wail but Dante was happy to see the demon was down for the count.

As long as it was out of the picture, he was fine with the damned alarm.

Turning, he holstered Ebony and Ivory then walked over to help Buffy off the ground. She flung herself onto him a second later and he had a hard time separating her from him again.

"Please help me!" she screamed.

Dante growled and shook the teenager forcefully, snapping, "Calm down!"

The whimpering from earlier immediately ceased and green eyes looked up at him in a fearful way. He frowned then grabbed her wrist and snapped to Willow, "C'mon, Red. We've got to find some shelter."

"The school isn't too far away," said Willow, jogging to keep up with the fast pace he set. Dante grunted in response and motioned for her to lead but beyond that was silent. Behind him, he could hear Buffy whining something about him being a beast but really didn't care. He'd heard the same thing over and over as a child whenever someone found out about his devil blood. He could ignore it.

A shape loomed up out of the dark as they approached the school and the half devil shoved Buffy completely behind him, jerking his guns from their holsters to point them at the shape. He'd have shoved Red behind him too but as she was kind of immaterial…

Willow 'eeped' and took a step back away from the shape…at least until it talked.

"Willow? Is that you? And…oh my God, _Xander?_"

"Dante," growled the devil hunter, grabbing Buffy's wrist again to her complaints. He slung her around so she was in front of him and spat, "This'd be your Slayer?"

Giles looked from Dante to Buffy then his expression fell.

"Oh dear…"

"Giles, everyone's turned into their costumes!" exclaimed Willow, waving her arms in the air. "And-and Buffy doesn't know who she is and Xander's…well, he's…"

"No time for mindless ramblings, Red," growled Dante, clamping a hand over her mouth and focusing a bit of his devil powers into his hand in an attempt to touch her. To his surprise, it actually worked. He then looked at Giles and said, "Think you can figure this out?"

"We can try," replied Giles. He then frowned and looked quickly at Willow, who was staring over Dante's gloved hand. "Willow…everyone didn't turn into their costume's, did they?"

The redhead frowned then shook her head, which prompted Dante to drop his hand.

"No," replied Willow. "We met Cordelia coming over her and she was okay. Well…for Cordelia at least."

Giles' frown deepened at this and he glanced at Dante before asking, "Where did the three of your get your costume's?"

"A new shop run by Ethan…um…Raze? No, Rays? Um…"

"Rayne?" suggested Giles.

"That's it!" chirped Willow.

What happened next made Dante smirk.

"I'll kill him!" snarled Giles, spinning on a heel. "I'll rip out his intestines and…" The Watcher's voice trailed off as he marched away into the night, leaving the three of them standing there.

"I think I like him," commented Dante, earning an odd look from Willow.

"That wasn't Giles," she muttered.

Dante shrugged and said, "Hey, maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. Whatever it was, we've not got the time to ponder over it."

"Why's that?"

"Trouble, Red," replied Dante, tugging a still whining Buffy along. He needed to get them away from the vampire that was chasing them and hide them so he could deal with the beast himself. "Trouble."

* * *

"Ethan," growled Giles as he entered the back of the shop to find the statue of Janus and the man knelt in front of it.

The man in front of the statue straightened up and turned slightly to smile at the sword-wielding man behind him.

"Hello, Ripper."

* * *

"So he's okay," said Dante to Willow for the third time after Angel had joined their little party.

The redhead nodded and the devil hunter turned slightly to study the vampire for a moment before he shook his head. First it was the Slayer now it was souled vamp's _helping_ the Slayer. What next?

At that exact moment, a pirate came lurching up behind Buffy and grabbed her, causing her to shriek in protest. Dante whirled, Ivory flying to his hand then swooping down to smash the pirate into unconsciousness. Behind him, he heard Angel wrestling with a vampire.

"Stake!" shouted the vampire, glancing over his shoulder, only to succeed in causing Buffy to shriek and run away in terror at the sight of his transformed face.

"Nice job, Dead Boy," spat Dante before he sprinted after the 18th century noblewoman stuck in the Slayer's body.

Willow blinked at Dante's use of one of Xander's nicknames for Angel then rushed after him, leaving Angel to follow when he could.

* * *

"What, no hug? No kiss? Ripper, I'm hurt."

"I should have known," said Giles, glaring daggers at the other man. "This stinks of your work."

"Mmm, it does, doesn't it? Genius, don't you agree?"

Giles growled from somewhere in the back of his throat.

"It harms the innocent."

"Oh yes," snarled Ethan, "you're a champion of the innocents now, aren't you? Quite the act."

"It's not an act."

"Really? You think the sniveling little Watcher is you? I don't think so. I know the real you, _Ripper_. But they don't, do they?"

Giles glared over the frames of his glasses at Ethan and hissed, "Break the spell, Ethan."

"Or what?" asked Ethan with a crossing of his arms.

"I'll kill you."

"Oh, Ripper, you're scaring me…"

Giles snarled and his fist whipped out to catch Ethan in the cheek, sending him stumbling back into a wall. The worshiper of Janus lifted a hand to his injured cheek then looked up with a grin on his face – which wasn't what the Watcher had expected.

"There you are Ripper," purred Ethan before Giles' next punch sent him sprawling onto the floor.

* * *

"Close the fuckin' door!" bellowed Dante over his shoulder at Angel, who was shoving a struggling Buffy into the warehouse behind him.

"Dante!" shouted Willow from somewhere near him and he jerked his head around slightly to look at her. He saw her flinch away from him in his devil form but she didn't run. Brave, foolish little Red…

He then swung back around to land a hard punch on the side of a demon's head, sending it flying. Two more attacked him and he slashed at them with his claws, driving them back enough that he could use two sharp kicks to send them packing.

Another demon crept up from behind him and he hurriedly dispatched it with a blow to the head from Ebony's butt before turning to face the vampire that'd been following them earlier. The beast's nearly white blonde hair made him think of bleach, so he decided to call the vampire 'Peroxide' for the time being.

Grinning ferally, he flapped his wings and motioned the vampire forward with a taloned hand, red eyes glowing.

Spike blinked at the tall, black armored creature standing in front of him, its scarlet eyes seeming to bore into his soul – at least where it would have been if he still had one. Then it motioned him forward and he grinned before springing forward to attack.

A second later he found himself flying backwards to land in a garbage dumpster. Enraged, he leapt out of the bin and rushed at the armored creature. It grinned and took a step back then shuddered.

A moment later it was nothing more than a man barely taller than him with a shock of white hair and an outfit of red and black. Spike blinked at this change but kept his eye on the objective.

The Slayer was in the warehouse.

And he'd tear apart this wannabe protector then kill her.

* * *

On the floor of the back room of his shop, a beaten Ethan coughed and sat up slowly, tilting his head back to look at the man towering about him.

"And you said Ripper was gone…"

"Tell me how to stop the spell."

"Say 'pretty please.' "

Giles growled and kicked Ethan hard in the side near his kidneys, causing the man to yelp in pain. He then reached down and grabbed his collar, jerking him up onto his knees.

"Spell," he snarled. "Now."

* * *

"I just want the bint," growled Spike as he wiped blood from his split lip. He glared at Dante and asked, "Can't we come to a bloody agreement?"

"No," replied Dante coldly. "We can't."

"And how are you going to stop me from taking her?"

There was a whisper of metal against cloth and then Dante held his sword in a two-handed grip, eyes narrowed at Spike.

"C'mon then, Peroxide," he taunted. "Let's rock."

Spike sneered and charged, which made Dante grin and pull Alastor back for a deathblow to the vampire. Oh, he was going to enjoy this one…

* * *

"NOW, ETHAN!"

"The statue!" shouted Ethan, flinching away from Giles. "Smash the statue!"

Giles spun, freeing his sword from its sheath and swinging it down hard. The expertly honed blade tore through the statue's feeble makeup and its remains fell to the floor in a spatter of stone.

* * *

Dante grinned and let loose, aiming Alastor at Peroxide's neck. Then he heard a squeal behind him from Red and he felt disoriented.

A second later he was being jerked forcefully from the kid's body, all the while trying to get back and finish off the vampire before Peroxide got the kid. As he was being pulled away, he felt a little piece of himself that was still anchored to Xander separate from his…well, whatever he was right now…and apparently slide back into the kid.

Then he was completely out of range of them.

_Take care, Red. And you too, kid_, was his last thought before he found himself back in his body with Trish shaking him awake and demanding to know what had the Hell was going on.

* * *

"What the bloody…" mumbled Spike as the red clothed man collapsed in a heap, the redhead standing a bit away rushing over to drop to her knees beside him. He then turned to run…only to find the Slayer standing there with fire in her eyes.

"Bollocks," he muttered before Buffy landed an uppercut that sent him sprawling. He staggered up as she stalked towards him, anger boiling in her green eyes.

Spike glanced about to see if the monsters he'd dragged along with him were still there but they were kids and students again.

He then looked at Buffy, who was now armed with a length of pipe and coming speedily at him despite the heavy skirt she was wearing. That was when Spike's fight-or-flight reflex kicked in.

He ran.

"Humph," said Buffy, slapping the pipe into her other hand. She then turned and smiled at Angel, saying, "It's good to be me."

"Good to have you back," murmured the vampire. He then looked over at the collapsed Xander and was surprised to find Willow in tears.

Buffy noticed this as well and took a nervous step forward.

"Will?"

"Something's wrong," whispered Willow as she cradled Xander's head in her lap, her fingers brushing over the white wig…wait a minute…

"Oh my God," breathed Buffy, staring down at her unconscious friend. "But…the spell broke!"

The spell had been broken, all right. But for some reason Xander hadn't turned back.


	3. New Factor

**Disclaimer:** BtVS and nothin' else mine. 'Cept the plot. Sorta. Eh… General Xander costume something else Halloween episode fic. Also note that some of the characters may sound a bit off as I haven't watched Buffy in a long while and am running off memory of what they sound like as well as fanfics. Chapter titles come from all three DMC OST's.

**Chapter 3 – New Factor**

He could hear voices. Talking. Talking about…him?

His brow furrowed and then Xander's eyes slowly blinked open. Everything was blurry for a minute then it cleared and he could see a clump of red hair out of the corner of his eye. Looking down, he found Willow's head pillowed on his chest and tears on her cheek.

Frowning, he looked around for whoever had been talking but, not seeing anyone, figured they were outside. He then lifted his hand – which was when he discovered he was still wearing his Halloween costume – and brushed the dried tears from his best friend's face.

"Red," he murmured then blinked in surprise. He'd never called Willow 'Red' before. She was always 'Wills' or 'bestest-bud' or whatever other odd name he'd come up with.

But 'Red' seemed so right…

"Wills," he said after that moment of confusion, brushing her hair back from her face. "Wills, wake up."

The redhead shifted slightly and lifted her head, eyes blinking sleepily open. Then a second later she noticed he was awake and squealed happily before enveloping him in a hug.

Xander choked and grabbed Willow's shoulders, desperately trying to pull her off of him. To his surprise, it wasn't that hard. And his sudden show of strength had apparently surprised her as well.

"What's going on?" he asked softly after a moment. "What happened before? I remember blacking out…and some vague bits of us running around…fighting Spike…then nothing…"

"Giles explained it to us," said Willow after a moment. "Ethan Rayne – the owner of the shop we all bought our costumes from – cast some sort of spell for a chaos god and we all turned into our costumes."

"So you were a ghost."

A nod.

"Buffy was a noblewoman."

Another nod.

"And I…?"

"He called himself Dante," said Willow helpfully. She then swallowed hard and added, "I…I think he was half demon. He transformed into…something during the fight to keep Spike away from Buffy."

"Okay," said Xander. "But that still doesn't ex…" He suddenly caught half a glance of himself in a mirror and gasped before lurching into a sitting position. Willow tried to get him to lie back down but she found she couldn't even get him to budge.

Xander stared slack-jawed, completely oblivious to Willow at his side, at what his reflection was showing him. He still looked like himself but his hair was completely white and hung down in a shaggy mane to the nape of his neck while his eyes, which had been dark brown, now sparkled blue. The outfit that had been rather loose on him only hours before had been filled out by new muscles and by a short burst of height.

Besides that, he felt like there was something else in his head with him. Two something's. One was definitely human – likely this Dante guy's memories or something like that. But the other was something…feral…but intelligent at the same time – kinda like the hyena. It was strange. It all was so strange…

"What's going on?" he asked in a meek voice.

Willow opened her mouth to give him an answer but cut herself off when Buffy and Giles entered the room from wherever they'd been talking. The two stopped and stared when they saw him awake…and scared out of his wits.

"Xander?" queried Buffy cautiously.

He just nodded, strands of white hair falling over his eyes.

"What's going on?" he asked again, eyes darting from the Slayer to her Watcher.

"All we can surmise is that for some reason a part of the man that possessed you last night…this Dante…didn't leave you when the spell ended," said Giles with a vaguely annoyed expression on his face. "Though I cannot figure out how it did such a thing."

"Okay, so, basically what you're telling me is that the guy that possessed me…"

"Dante," supplied Willow helpfully.

"…yeah, Dante, left something of his behind and now I'm stuck?"

Giles ran a hand back through his hair and nodded, saying, "That is the basic gist of it, yes."

"Great," growled Xander. "What next? A fuckin' apocalypse?"

All three other people in the room stared at him for his harsh language and he flushed, muttering, "Sorry. Think that was him showing through or whatever."

"He had a bad mouth then," said Buffy. She then leaned on the back of the couch he was lying on and added, "Don't worry, Xander. We'll figure this out."

"I know, Buff," he said softly, lifting his now blue eyes to stare into hers. "But that doesn't make the confusion go away." _Or the fear_, he added silently to himself.

* * *

"Hey, Harris! You decide to erase the chalkboard with your head?"

Xander growled something unsavory under his breath and resisted the urge to turn around. If he did, Larry would have ended up in the morgue. In pieces.

And despite how happy he'd be with that, killing humans just wasn't the way to do things.

Even Dante's memories told him that one.

If only Larry was a demon…

"Go away, Larry," he threw over his shoulder. "I'm not in the mood."

A heavy hand came down in his shoulder a second later and he spun around, his right hand catching Larry about the neck. With a sneer and a tightening of the muscles in his arm (which were a great deal stronger than they looked), Xander lifted him off the ground and shook him.

"Leave. Me. Alone. Or. Die," he growled with each shake before he dropped Larry on his ass and stalked off. Anyone that had seen him toss the other teenager about like a rag doll got out of his way as he stormed down the corridor.

He burst out the front doors into the sunlight and kept walking, ignoring Snyder as the annoying little man shouted at his back. Other things were more important than high school right now.

Like figuring out how to deal with his new body and everything that came with it. The main thing to figure out was how exactly to use it. He wasn't used to having the muscle mass he had now thanks to Ethan Rayne's spell and learning to use it was being a pain. It was frustrating and his frustration with it wasn't just coming from his side, it was coming from the little piece of the half devil that now was a part of him.

If only he'd been able to forgo inheriting the white hair and blue eyes during the spell two weeks ago…

Sighing, Xander collapsed underneath a passing tree, sprawling out in what was almost a spread eagle position. Closing his eyes, he took in a deep breath and released it, trying to get the anger out of his system.

A cool breeze ruffled his hair and he opened his eyes, staring up through the dense branches of the tree to the blue sky. Concentrating on a passing cloud slowed his thoughts and tempered the anger until it faded away. Which was a good thing but he knew if he didn't get a hold of it soon, it'd probably end up getting out of his control and killing somebody.

Sighing again, he muttered, "What the Hell did I do to get myself dropped into this mess?"

He grimaced immediately after he'd spoke his thoughts aloud. Courtesy of the fraction of Dante now occupying his head, he'd begun cursing a lot more often than he had before. Which wasn't endearing the man too much towards the girls or Giles.

Frowning some more, he closed his eyes again and just let himself drift. He tried not to think about everything that had happened of late. Just tried to…well, not think at all.

"Xander?"

The soft voice broken him out of his drifting and he opened one eye to see Willow standing above him. What surprised him was that he'd actually smelt her and had heard her approaching before he'd even acknowledged her presence. Damn, he really had to get a grip on all this stuff…

"Hey, Wills," he mumbled, pushing himself up to a sitting position. He absently noticed that the shoulders of his shirt pulled almost painfully tight at the motion, making him remember that his body was foreign to him now. "What's up?"

"You left school," said Willow as she eased down onto the grass beside him.

At this, Xander winced.

"Yeah…"

"You ought to ignore Larry. He's an idiot."

He sighed at this and said, "I know, Wills. But he's been beating down on me for years and it turns out that Dante apparently wasn't – isn't – whatever – too fond of bullies. So he's doing a little bit of influence on me when big, stupid, and ugly's around and being particularly annoying."

There was a small nod from Willow and then the two of them sat in silence for a long moment before she spoke again.

"Xander?"

"Yeah?"

"You lifted him six inches off the ground."

Xander paled and swallowed hard before looking fearfully down at his hands. He then closed his eyes and muttered, "Fuck."

He could feel Willow's eyes on him and could swear he almost smelt the sadness pouring off of her in waves – though what it smelt like exactly he couldn't really explain. After a moment, he looked up at her and saw that very emotion in her brown eyes.

"Hey," he said then with a forced smile, "no sad faces, Wills. You'll make me go all sappy if you do that."

"I'm sorry…"

"No need to be sorry, Wills. Really you should be scolding me for losing my temper like that."

Willow frowned at him then chirped, "Xander! How dare you lose your temper like that!"

He chuckled and smiled, saying, "There's my Wills."

She just smiled back at him and giggled a little before the two of them faded into a friendly silence only punctured by the chirping of nearby birds.

Then the silence was broken as she asked, "Are you going to do what Giles suggested? The training with Buffy and all?"

"Thinking about it," replied Xander honestly. He lifted a hand and flexed it, causing the muscles in his forearm to jump. "I mean, if I've got as much power as I think I do, it'd be a good idea. The Buffster could always use a hand that's not…well…"

"Human?" offered Willow in a whisper.

"Yeah," muttered Xander, shifting a bit. He then wrapped an arm about his friend as she hugged him, her head leant on his shoulder.

"You're still human to me," said Willow softly, her voice loud to his now enhanced hearing. "Always will be, no matter what."

He turned and looked at her for a long moment then murmured, "Promise?"

"Promise." 


	4. Uncanny Noise

**Disclaimer:** BtVS and nothin' else mine. 'Cept the plot. Sorta. Eh… General Xander costume something else Halloween episode fic. Also note that some of the characters may sound a bit off as I haven't watched Buffy in a long while and am running off memory of what they sound like as well as fanfics. Chapter titles come from all three DMC OST's.

**Chapter 4 – Uncanny Noise**

"C'mon, Xander," taunted Buffy, spinning a quarterstaff effortlessly in her hands, "is that all you've got?"

The magically created half devil snarled in response and eyed her for a moment before he charged, his own quarterstaff spinning in his hands. Buffy snapped hers up to block his attack and shoved it away before bringing her staff back around to clock him on the shin as he recovered.

Xander cursed and took a step back, grinding the end of his staff into the ground as he glared angrily.

"Damnit!"

Buffy frowned then said, "Hey, you're getting better. I was trying to sweep your feet out from under you."

"That wasn't me," growled Xander. He tapped his temple and added, "That was him. I'm still not that good."

"It's only been two months, Xander," said Giles from the table nearby where he sat researching a demon Buffy had run across the night before. "And you must admit you're a great deal better than you were then."

"Yeah," said Xander, anger slowly sliding away. "But still…"

"C'mon, let's try it again," chirped Buffy, waggling her staff at him. She then grinned and said, "If you beat me, I'll buy you a pizza."

The blue eyes underneath the shock of white hair lit up and he asked, "Anything I want on it?"

"You name it."

"Deal," said Xander, picking up his staff in both hands and dropping into one of the fighting stances Giles showed him when they started this practice routine. He then grinned and shot off a line that was purely Dante. "Let's rock."

* * *

Xander was prowling restlessly around the school a few weeks after the last training session he'd had with Buffy. He'd lost the bet and had happily treated her to a large cheese pizza that they shared with Willow whilst watching the _Star Wars_ trilogy despite Buffy's best protests.

Two days later Buffy and Angel had slept together and then _bam!_ Angelus was back. Once this was discovered, the Slayer had gone into a downhill slide and Giles had to resort to training Xander on his own.

Since Buffy was pretty out of it of late, the half devil had taken to patrolling on his own with stake and a short sword Giles had loaned him in hand. The part of him that was Dante wanted to have his two trusty Desert Eagle's and _his _sword but, unfortunately, those items hadn't kept their Halloween personalities and were nothing more than plastic again.

Sighing, Xander shoved his thoughts aside and set his mind back to his patrolling. He didn't have time to think whilst he was "working", as the Dante half of him wanted to put it. At least he couldn't right now with what little training he had.

Suddenly a smell flowed into his nostrils and he sniffed slightly. Then his nostrils flared and his eyes narrowed to slits as he growled, "Smells like the dead."

A second later he was sprinting down the corridors of the high school, moving quickly and silently without even thinking about it. Then he heard a crash from a classroom up ahead and charged, kicking the door open as he reached it.

Just in time to see Angelus break Jenny Calendar's neck.

"Son of a bitch!" he snarled, causing the vampire to drop the now lifeless teacher. Xander stared hard down at her body, eyes blazing with anger. Sure she'd lied to them about who she really was and that had annoyed him. But killing her just pissed him off – simply for the fact that Giles loved her and he had come to look up to the man.

Angelus turned towards him and blinked before sneering, "Who the hell are you?"

"Call me Dante," growled Xander, sliding the short sword from its sheath at his hip. He also silently thanked any God and anyone else listening that he hadn't run into the souled vampire much since Halloween. Because of that, his demon counterpart didn't recognize him right off the bat.

"Fine, _Dante_. I suggest you walk away before you face the same fate as the little Gypsy bitch here."

"Ooo, scary. Try again, vampire."

Angelus frowned then said, "Time to die then."

Xander just grinned and leapt forward, slashing viciously at the vampire's midsection with his sword. Angelus spun away from the blade and aimed a roundhouse kick at the half devil's head, which he ducked and followed up with a swift jab to the vampire's gut that sent him stumbling. The kick, however, had managed to deprive him of his sword.

"What the hell?" exclaimed Angelus, barely managing to block Xander's next punch he was so surprised. "A male Slayer?"

"Please," scoffed Xander, blocking a knee aimed for his groin and an elbow aimed at his head before following them with two swift punches and a kick. He missed a kick a second later and grunted as it hit him in the side before turning his upper body and slamming Angelus across the jaw with his elbow.

As he brought the elbow back down and shot a punch out from under it with his other hand, a look of recognition came across the vampire's face. He caught Xander's punch and spun him around, intending to pin him and drain him, but instead got a head butt and a bloody nose for his trouble.

Xander then proceeded to kick Angelus in his manly parts and leapt back, dropping into a fighting stance as his eyes darted around the room, trying to figure out where his sword had gone.

"You!" hissed Angelus suddenly, bringing the half devil's attention back to him. "Harris. Slayer's little puppy."

"That'd be me. Well, except for the puppy part," said Xander, taking a cautious step forward, his weight balanced on the balls of his feet. He was running on Dante's instincts right now as well as what little fighting training he'd gotten from the Slayer and her Watcher – and that little wasn't too much of nothing since he couldn't really keep Dante from interfering with his learning.

The vampire snarled and spat, "You really think you can take me on?"

"No," replied Xander stonily. "But I can damn well try."

_And try I will, you worthless bloodsucker_, he snarled mentally. _If Buffy won't take you out, then by Hell, I'll do it myself. Probably get killed in the process but I'll save everyone else from you._

"Stupid brat," growled Angelus, charging at him again. Xander caught one punch from the vampire on his forearm and deflected it, following through with a punch of his own. The vampire dodged and swung his other fist around to slam into the side of the half devil's head, making stars flicker in front of his eyes.

Xander shook his head briefly to clear it and took a step back, lashing out with his foot. It connected and drove Angelus back a bit but he wished that the costume from Halloween hadn't turned back too. Those steel-toed boots he could vaguely recall wearing would have been nice right about now.

His heel struck something suddenly and he briefly looked down to see Ms. Calendar's corpse there, her eyes staring lifelessly up at him. Anger flooded through him and he whirled back to face Angelus…only to be thrown backwards through a wall and into the next classroom by a powerful kick from the vampire.

"Now stay down, puppy," growled the vampire as he bent down to pick up the corpse. "I've got work to do."

Smirking a bit, he turned and left the wrecked classroom, ignoring the sound of rock and drywall shifting from the other room. A second later, a scratched up hand appeared followed quickly by the rest of Xander.

Eyes glowing a menacing scarlet, he hauled himself to his feet, completely ignorant of the red lightning that played across his body. He stalked into the computer classroom and snarled as he saw Ms. Calendar's corpse was gone. Searching the room quickly, he found his sword and sheathed it before storming out after Angelus.

Sniffing, he caught a whiff of a dead body again and followed it as swiftly as he could possibly move. He had a strong feeling that he knew where Angelus was taking the corpse.

And he was going to get there before it could do the worst damage.

* * *

Giles took the rose off his door after a long moment of staring at it then reached down to find it was unlocked. Opening it, he stepped inside and blinked in shock when he saw a pair of scarlet eyes staring at him from his desk chair.

As he fumbled for a weapon, the eyes owner spoke.

"It's me, Giles."

"Good Lord…Xander, what on earth is wrong with your eyes?"

"Screw my eyes!" snapped the half devil as Giles turned the lights on. "We've got bigger problems on our hands. And sadder one's."

A feeling of dread filled the Watcher then and he looked around, catching a glimpse of a note on his desk. Then he locked eyes with Xander and asked, "Jenny?"

"I couldn't save her," whispered Xander, closing his eyes. "I got there too late. Too fuckin' late to do anything but get my ass kicked by Dead Boy Gone Wrong."

"Angelus…killed her?"

"Yeah."

Giles stood in shocked silence for a moment before he asked, "Where's her body?"

Xander looked up, eyes blue again, and replied, "Upstairs. He was just going to leave her there and let you find her. Obviously thought I'd be out for the count for a good while." He rolled his right shoulder and grumbled, "If I were still completely human, I would be. That wall had a mean bitch slap."

Giles seemed to miss every word Xander said besides the first few. After a few moments, a expression that was a mix of grief and rage flowed over his face.

"Damn him," he hissed softly, anger flowing through every word. "Damn him…"

Xander sat there for a moment then got to his feet, walking slowly over to the Watcher. The older man jerked when he gingerly laid a hand on his shoulder then looked at him with a hard glance.

"We'll get him," said the half devil, seeing the want for revenge in Giles' eyes. "He'll pay for this and every single other wound he inflicts on us."

"But not tonight," said Giles, anger in his eyes.

Xander shook his head slowly in response.

"I want to go take him out as badly as you do, Giles. But we'd both get killed taking him on without Buffy. And I need more training." He shook his head again, adding, "A lot more."

There was a tense silence between them in which Xander was fairly certain the Watcher was going to punch him. But he didn't. Instead he let out a little huff of breath, shoulders sagging as he did so. Then he straightened and the half devil saw something blossom in the Englishman's eyes. Something the devil part of him recognized and gleefully welcomed as a brother.

It was Darkness and all the rage and anger that came with it.

"We've got work to do," said Giles tersely in a voice that Xander vaguely remembered from Halloween. He racked his brain for what Ethan Rayne had called the Watcher during the Mark of Eyghon incident and then found it.

_Ripper_.

Angelus had, by killing Jenny Calendar, effectively called Ripper out of whatever mental hole Giles had buried him in. Even with him, he and Xander wouldn't be able to beat the vampire and his goons. But maybe with Buffy…they might just be able to do it.


	5. Mental Machine

**Disclaimer:** BtVS and nothin' else mine. 'Cept the plot. Sorta. Eh… General Xander costume something else Halloween episode fic. Also note that some of the characters may sound a bit off as I haven't watched Buffy in a long while and am running off memory of what they sound like as well as fanfics. Chapter titles come from all three DMC OST's.

**Chapter 5 – Mental Machine**

_God fuckin' damnit!_ snarled Xander mentally as he looked at Kendra's corpse. The Slayer that had been called after Buffy's short stint in Deathsville was now taking a permanent vacation there. And all because of God damned Drusilla…

The aforementioned vampire was currently struggling in his grasp, shrieking and clawing at his arm as he effortlessly held her a foot off the ground.

"Such an angry, angry one!" she gasped out between her shrieks. "Poor angry little devil child…"

"Shut up, wench," he snapped, eyes flashing from blue to scarlet. "Or so help me I'll squeeze your scrawny neck till your head pops like a fuckin' balloon."

That seemed to shut the vampiress up and the half devil frowned at her for a moment before he opened the book cage they generally used to lock up Oz during his transformation and tossed her in. She leapt at the door as he snapped the lock shut, purring, "Can't keep me in here long, devil child. No, no… Daddy will come for you. And he'll kill, kill, kill and there'll be such a pretty, pretty party."

Xander gave her a long, hard look then stated, "Lady, your nuts." He then turned at the sound of the library doors open and saw Buffy standing there, looking down at Kendra's body in horror. Then her eyes came up to meet his and he took a small step towards her.

"Buff…"

"Where's Giles?" asked the Slayer, holding up a hand to ward him off.

"They took him," replied Xander helplessly. He then snarled and spun, punching a five-inch deep hole in the concrete wall. "And I couldn't stop them! I'm always getting there too late to do a damned thing!"

"We can't lose it now," said Buffy calmly. "We have to get him out. Away from them."

"You're right," he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Then he sniffed slightly, eyes widening. A second later he had darted across the room and jumped over the main desk to bend down behind it. When he stood up, an unconscious Willow was cradled in his arms.

"Will!" exclaimed Buffy.

"She's okay," said Xander. He carried her into Giles' office and laid her out on the couch then came back out, expression cold. "We've got to stop this tonight, Buff. You know we have to."

The Slayer looked at him for a long moment with no emotion in her eyes then sadness filled the green orbs. Xander saw this and shook his head.

"I know you still love him. But he ain't Angel anymore, Buffster – he's Angelus. And something's gotta be done."

"Foolish sayings, foolish deeds!" chirped Drusilla from the cage. She then shrieked and staggered back against the wall as Xander was suddenly _there_, slamming a fist against the steel as his eyes burned scarlet.

"I told you to shut up, wench!" he snarled before turning back to Buffy. He looked at her for a long moment before he jabbed a thumb at the vampiress, saying, "Lucky us, we've got a bargaining chip."

"Which means we've got to plan this carefully," said Buffy.

"Careful as mice, Buffster," said Xander. He then frowned at Drusilla for a long moment before muttering, "Now we just need a plan…"

* * *

"How do I wake up Acathla?"

Giles sneered and promptly told Angelus where he could go stick his questions and various parts of his anatomy. Rage flashed across the vampire's face and he lashed out at the Watcher, his fingernails slashing bloody lines across the man's left cheek.

From his wheelchair, Spike winced slightly and moved a bit further into the shadows. Dru had been captured during the raid to drag the Watcher here according to the minions that had made it back and so now they had to do the interrogating the hard way. If she'd been there, she could have just disguised herself as that Gypsy wench and gotten the information so very easily…

As she wasn't there, they had to resort to other methods of torture. And so far the Watcher was holding out.

If Spike didn't already loathe the man, he might have been impressed.

After a moment more of watching the interrogation, he wheeled himself out of the room then promptly rose and hid the chair in a corner. Stretching briefly, he then headed out into the night.

If the Slayer and her little gang had Dru, he was going to make a deal with them. They could have Angelus if they just gave her back to him and let them leave.

Spike smirked and growled, "Time to get rid of you for good, Grandpa," before setting off to hunt down the Slayer.

* * *

Xander and Buffy had called Oz and had waited until he arrived at the library to look after Willow (and the locked up Drusilla) before they left. The second he arrived, they had left, taking Kendra's body with them. They had hidden the dead Slayer in a grave a new fledgling had burst from right in front of them (who had ended up a dust pile a second later) and were then moving towards Buffy's house.

As they got close, the half devil slowed from the easy lope the two of them had broken into after leaving the cemetery. Buffy slowed as well and looked back at him curiously, asking, "What's wrong?"

"Vamp," replied Xander, sliding a wicked looking dagger he'd taken from Giles' weapons cabinet a few weeks before from a sheath as the small of his back. Buffy frowned and pulled Mr. Pointy out of her sleeve…just in time to nearly pierce Spike's heart with it.

Xander snarled and leapt forward at the vampire's appearance, landing a hard punch in his gut. He then knee'd the blonde in the face, sending him sprawling, and placed a boot on his chest to hold him down.

"Hi, Peroxide," he sneered as the vampire shook his head, nose bleeding slightly.

"Bloody hell, I just want to talk!"

"So talk," growled Buffy, crouching down beside him with Mr. Pointy at the ready. "And do it fast."

Spike glanced from one to the other and tried to push against the foot on his chest again. The heel of said foot dug viciously into his chest then, the bottoms of the hiking boot it wore digging slightly into his sternum.

"Alright," he said then. "I've got a deal for you, Slayer…"

* * *

"Did Willow…perform…the…spell?" gasped Giles as Xander helped the Watcher hobble out of the warehouse where Angelus and his goons had set up shop.

"Should be doing it as we speak, G-man. She called me as we were leavin' Buff's and said she was going on with it," replied the half devil as he eased the man down to the ground. As he set him up against the side of the building, he said, "Now I've got to go in and see if the Buffster needs a hand. You'll be alright on your own, right?"

The Watcher looked up and Xander involuntarily grinned as he saw Ripper in those eyes.

"That answers that," he said then, straightening up and drawing his dagger. "Do they know how to start up Acathla?"

"Damn blighter of a researcher found it," spat Giles. "I never gave him it."

"Good. Well…on the you not giving it to him part, not the researcher thing."

"Go help Buffy, Xander."

"You betcha."

With that Xander turned and entered the building, beheading a bespectacled vampire that rushed at him as he did so. Then he walked out into the main area and found Buffy and Angelus going hard at each other with swords.

He then saw the sword was gone from Acathla's chest and cursed fluently.

A vampire leapt at him from behind then and he whirled, snapping his fingers about the beast's neck and driving it to the ground. There he stomped a boot on its chest, breaking a few ribs, then promptly sawed its head off with his dagger.

When he looked up at the fight again, it was in time to a hiss of pain.

What he saw would be forever embedded in his memory. Acathla's hell portal had opened up and Angelus had ended up standing right in front of it when Buffy had shoved the sword back into the demon. But from the shocked look on his face and the tears streaming down Buffy's, Willow had done her job. She'd restored his soul.

Just too late to save Angel.

Straightening up as the portal disappeared with Angel along for the ride, Xander sheathed his dagger. He then slowly made his way over to Buffy and carefully laid a hand on her shoulder. She spun about with one hand raised to strike him but he caught it with surprising ease.

A second later she collapsed against him in tears, her body racked with harsh sobs. He gathered her tightly against him then, glaring over her shoulder at the now silent Acathla.

Silently he damned Angel for earning her love, the Gypsy's for the little twist in their curse and Angelus for being so damned evil that he just had to destroy the world.

And he cursed Fate itself, because he knew when Buffy found out he'd known about the spell and that Willow had told him to tell her about it even Dante's devil blood and skills wouldn't keep him from harm.

After a few moments, the sobs ceased and the tears dried up, leaving Buffy just standing in his embrace. Then she gently pushed away from him and looked up at him for a long moment.

"Thanks," was all her heard her whisper before she turned and fled.

Xander looked after her for a long moment before he turned and went out to go get Giles and take him to a hospital. He could only hope Buffy would head home and not do something drastic.


	6. Defective Truth

**Disclaimer:** BtVS and nothin' else mine. 'Cept the plot. Sorta. Eh… General Xander costume something else Halloween episode fic. Also note that some of the characters may sound a bit off as I haven't watched Buffy in a long while and am running off memory of what they sound like as well as fanfics. Chapter titles come from all three DMC OST's.

**Chapter 6 – Defective Truth**

"Any vamps that need slaying tonight, oh mighty Watcher?" quipped Xander as he waltzed into the library. He then sniffed and said, "Hey, that smells like…_Buffster!_"

"Hey, Xander," said the slayer softly, smiling gently at him. She then rose from her chair and was swept up in a strong hug that nearly throttled the life out of her. "Gotten a bit better since I left, I see."

The half devil pulled back from her with a shrug, saying, "Still not at top shape though…if I'm reading Dante's memories right, that is. So…where've yah been?"

"Here. There. I stopped a demon who was using humans as slaves in a hell dimension."

"Them damn hell dimensions," grumbled Xander. He then smiled and hugged her again, picking her off the floor a bit this time. When he sat her back down, he softly said, "Glad you're back, Buff."

Buffy just smiled and said, "I'm just glad to be back. Now, I've gotta go. Mom wants to do the bonding thing. Dinner, maybe a movie, y'know. Mom-daughter stuff."

"Gotcha, Buff. Catch yah later then?"

"You betcha. I'll see you guys later."

With that the Slayer left the library and Xander turned around with a slightly goofy grin on his face only to find Willow giving him a hard look.

"Hey, hey, Wills! What's up with the third degree look?"

"She left us," replied the redhead. "She left us and you just welcomed her back as if nothing happened."

Xander sighed and said, "Wills…I never liked Dead Boy – hell, getting Dante in my head made me like him even less – but what happened with him threw Buffy for a ringer. She had to fuckin' kill him, for Christ's sake! If it had been Oz – or hell, _me_ – could you have done it?"

She stared at him for a long moment before shaking her head slightly and mumbling, "I-I-I don't think so."

"Personally, Red, I think you're misjudgin' yourself." The half devil then shook his head and growled, "Damnit, I hate when he pops out a sentence. Though I do agree. I think you'd have been able to do the same thing as her. Though you likely would have handled it better."

He walked slowly over to his oldest friend and knelt down in front of her, raising his eyes to meet hers.

"She didn't want to leave us on our own to deal with the Hellmouthy stuff, Wills – and I'm not saying that it was the brightest idea she ever had. It wasn't. It was stupid and immature but damnit, I'd likely have tried to get away for a while if I gone through the same thing. Her leaving us to deal with that stuff without her just happened to go hand in hand with dealing with all the Angel shit."

"But what if we hadn't had you?" asked Willow.

"Y'mean me and my half devil possession buddy? Feh! We'd have gotten on fine even without him. C'mon, Wills, Oz is a werewolf, you're a budding witch, and I could – and still can – confuse the hell out of a vamp with a few well put sentences."

The made a smile cross his friend's face and she said, "You have a point."

"Course I do! Now how about we get out of this mopin' mood and go get some pizza?"

* * *

"So she got called when Kendra died?" asked Giles as Xander, Willow, and Oz came to fill him in on the new Slayer in town.

"Yup," replied Xander as he sprawled in a chair, feet propped up on the table. When Willow gave him an odd look, he quickly swung them down and muttered something about Dante's memories. "She's quite the, er…crap, I so don't wanna say that."

"What?" asked Willow.

"You met Dante, Wills. So you know how, er…colorful…he was with language."

The redhead blinked then, her mouth dropping open into an 'o' of surprise.

"I take it he had quite the mouth?" said Oz, looking curiously at Xander.

"You could say that."

The werewolf just nodded at that and fell silent again, which wasn't that unusual for Oz. Behind him, Giles took off his glasses and wiped them off before perching them back on his nose.

"Well then," he said, "what's her name?"

"Faith," replied Xander. "Dances like a frickin' dervish, I swear. Though I picked up a weird vibe comin' off her…"

" 'Vibe?' " repeated Willow.

"Well, more like a scent actually. She's afraid of something – and she hides that fact damnably well."

Oz arched an eyebrow at that as Giles asked, "You can smell fear?"

Xander shrugged and replied, "Everything's got a scent. S'how I know the mood you guys are in." He then frowned and said, "Going back to Faith, G-man, I think we need to figure out real fast what can scare a Slayer as much as she is."

"It could be a very powerful vampire," said the Watcher. He then frowned and shook his head, saying, "Though I'm certain she would have asked for help if that were so."

"Right," said Xander. "A Slayer ask for help. Yeah, over my half devil body."

His words caused a moment of silence in the room then Giles said, "I've been meaning to ask you about that."

"What?"

"The half devil, thingy," explained Willow. "You've mentioned it a buncha times."

"That's what Dante was – is – whatever."

"Don't you mean half _demon_?" asked Giles.

Xander's lips involuntarily curled back in a sneer and he spat, "Don't _ever_ suggest I'm related to those worthless dogs again!" Willow shrank back into her chair in fear at his tone while Oz and Giles just leaned back a bit, their eyes widening.

He then frowned and muttered, "Sorry. Sorry… Erm, there's a big difference between devils and demons."

Giles arched an eyebrow at that.

"I've never heard of such a thing."

"Yeah, well, all those demony book writer's don't seem to know a damned of a difference," growled Xander. He then frowned, took a deep breath to calm himself and continued, "Look, demons are mainly what we deal with here in good ole' Sunnyhell. The usual vamps and all the other nasties. The Judge, even, was a demon."

"So what are devils?" asked Willow.

"A hell of a lot more powerful and smarter than a demon, first off. Kinda like Acathla. Oh, and G-man, devil's take offense to being called demon's."

"I shall remember that," said Giles softly.

Xander nodded at that, saying, "Good. Devils also don't tend to come to this plane of existence. Most of 'em stay in Hell."

"Then how…" began Willow only to be cut off by Xander waving a hand.

"How'd Dante become half devil? Easy. His good ole' dad left Hell after having a spat with Mundus, another devil."

"Why?" asked Oz.

"Mundus took over Hell and declared himself the Devil Emperor. And the next thing on his agenda after that was to invade the human world. Dante's dad, Sparda, took pity on the lot of us and fought a one-man – er, devil – war against Hell itself."

Three sets of eyebrows rose and Giles muttered, "Bloody hell."

"Couldn't have put it better myself, G-man."

Willow then shook her head and asked, "Did he win?"

"Yeah. Then he came here since he wasn't too welcome in Hell after that, got married, settled down, and had two sons – twin boys. One was Dante and the other was named Vergil. Turns out later Dante had to fight Mundus again. Kicked his ass like a son of Sparda should, too."

The redhead noticed the sadness that came through when Xander said the name of Dante's twin and softly asked, "What happened to him? To Vergil?"

Xander frowned as he replied, "I thought – I mean, Dante – thought he'd been killed along with their mother not long after Sparda disappeared back into Hell. Then he popped up just after Dante started his devil hunting business and they had a big battle after which Vergil disappeared. Then he found out that the Nelo Angelo, one of Mundus' minions he'd had to fight, was actually Vergil." His expression hardened as he finished in a growl, "The bastard made him kill his own brother."

There was a moment of stunned silence then in which Xander hurriedly stood and tugged on his coat.

"I'm headin' out," he said softly in a growling voice that prompted no disagreement. Then he was stalking out of the library and, within a two minutes walk, was out in the night air.

In the library, Giles wiped his glasses again and said, "He spoke with such conviction. As though they were real…"

"Maybe they are," murmured Willow. She then looked up and said in a louder voice, "I mean, what if that spell really pulled Dante into Xander's body? And everything into everyone else?"

"That would mean that this Dante actually exists," said Giles. "And I do seriously doubt that. Certainly someone would have known by now the difference between a devil and a demon if the distinction were real."

"Really?" chirped Oz, arching an eyebrow.

The Watcher looked at him for a long moment then sighed and tossed his glasses onto the table, running a hand over his face.

"I'm not certain what to believe anymore," he muttered. Then he looked at Willow and said, "Perhaps you should go after him?"

The redhead shook her head and said, "He's waaaay too fast. Buffy might be able to catch him but she's doing mom-daughter stuffies."

Giles sighed again and looked mournfully at the doors a young man who had been changed into something else against his will had just disappeared through. He would have gone after him himself but knew that he, just like Willow, wouldn't be able to catch him.

All he could do was hope Xander would be all right.

* * *

"God damnit, what did I do to get a probably nonexistent half devil stuck in my head?" grumbled Xander as he walked through the cemetery, scuffing up grass with his boots. "Or to end up a half devil myself? Hmm? Eh, oh mighty Powers That Be? Yah gotta answer for me on that one? No? Well fuck you too."

Sighing, he leaned heavily against one of the newer tombstone and ran his hands roughly over his face.

He hadn't really meant to leave the library like that. But Dante's memories about killing Vergil…hell, Dante's memories about _everything_ were so vivid. He felt like he'd lived them.

Absently he rubbed at his right shoulder, where he could remember one of the Marionette's hitting him with their blades. He could remember fighting the devils Phantom and Griffin as well as the Sin Scythe's and Scissor's. Then there were the memories from Dumary Island with Lucia and all the fighting there against Arius.

After that were all the memories about fighting in Hell, which were the second least pleasant of the stuff that had gotten stuffed in his head. The memory that got number one on that list was the murder of his mother by demons and his twin's kidnapping. Or whatever had happened to Vergil.

Xander shook his head then and muttered, "Not my mother. Not my twin, either. I'm not Dante. I'm not, I'm not, I'm not…"

"Not what, babe?"

The half devil looked up, a small dagger sliding out of an improvised sheath on his forearm into his hand. He then relaxed when he saw Faith standing there, hands on her hips and a smirk on her tanned face. There was a stake in her right hand and a little curvy knife strapped to a belt slung diagonally about her hips. She looked sexy as Hell in her black leather pants, dark navy tank top, and leather jacket – and by her smirk she damn well knew it too.

"Not the man in my head," replied Xander, resheathing his dagger and trying to keep his eyes from wandering over her body. And failing miserably.

The newest Slayer on the Hellmouth blinked and said, "Babe, that don't make no sense."

He sighed at that and began to explain what had happened the previous Halloween as well as the events after. When he was done, the Slayer was leaning against the tombstone across from his, her jaw half open in shock.

"Damn, babe, but that's some shit. Yah got through it good though, right? Even with this Dante guy in you're head?"

"Good as can be."

"So what're yah griping about?" asked Faith with a smirk. "Yah made it, you're sane, and all's okay. Now, yah wanna help me stake some vamps or are yah gonna wimp out on me, big devil man?"

Xander gave the dark Slayer a long look at that. He could still smell the fear in her but she hid it well. Damnably well…

Maybe he could find out what she was running from. Yeah, maybe… And maybe he could talk to her – really _talk_ – about all the shit in his life. Somehow he sensed that they both had similar histories of a sort.

"Sure," he chirped with a feral grin. He slipped a stake out of his coat pocket and tossed it in the air before catching it lightly. "Let's rock."

Faith grinned widely as the two of them moved towards a pair of newly risen vampires.

"Yah know, I think I could get to like you, babe. You're much more fun than B."

"Vamps first, flirting later, Slaygirl."

"Ooo, so serious. So sexy. I _do _like it."

Xander just shook his head at her then both of them leapt at the two vampires, dusting them. They then ripped through the cemetery like a whirlwind, two Hunters doing their job.


	7. Devil Sunday

**Disclaimer: **BtVS and nothin' else mine. 'Cept the plot. Sorta. Eh… General Xander costume something else Halloween episode fic. Also note that some of the characters may sound a bit off as I haven't watched Buffy in a long while and am running off memory of what they sound like as well as fanfics. Chapter titles come from all three DMC OST's.

**Chapter 7 – Devil Sunday**

"I need a gun. Now."

"What?" asked Willow, then let out an 'eep' when she saw what Xander was glaring at. "Angel!"

"Hello, Willow," said Angel as he stepped out of a shadow outside the high school. He then looked nervously at the white-haired young man beside her and added, "Xander."

"Dead Boy."

The re-souled and newly back from Hell vampire shifted a bit and started to open his mouth to say something else. He never got the chance as he was suddenly pressed up against a tree, a hand with a grip like steel about his throat and a dagger buried up to the hilt in his side.

Blue eyes that blazed behind a mane of silvery hair came into view and Angel shrank back against the tree as he saw a crimson light burning in the depths of those eyes. Whatever the Zeppo of the Scoobies had become, it scared the Hell out of him. And if it had still been Angelus in charge, Angel had no doubt that the demon would be squirming in fear.

"I've got one thing I wanna say to you before we go inside and act all nice to each other," growled Xander in a deep voice. "You hurt Buffy. I don't fuckin' care if it was Angelus in control or not, _you_ still hurt her. And I really don't care if you two are Goddamn soul mates or have True Love or whatever. If you know what's good for you, _Angel_, you'll leave Buffy the hell alone and won't make her go through the same damn thing again. 'Cause if you make her do that again; if you cause her to abandon her damned _duty_ again…well, let's just say what I do to you will make lotsa things ole' Angelus did childsplay in comparison. Got me?"

The souled vampire nodded briefly and the half devil's eyes flashed completely scarlet for a moment then he twisted his body about and effortlessly threw Angel into another tree. A tree that was nearly fifteen feet away.

As Angel pulled himself back to his feet, he gaped at Xander in a mix of fear and awe. He then gasped, "You threw me."

"Yeah," sneered Xander, teeth flashing bright white in the dark. "I did. What, want me to do it again 'cause I'd be _real_ happy to. Maybe next time I'll make sure to take some aim and see that you hit a branch. Then I won't have to worry about you hurting Buffy again."

"Xander, please," whispered Willow, gently touching his arm. "Don't."

The half devil turned his head to look down at her coldly for a long moment then snorted, snapping his gaze back towards Angel.

"Sure, Wills," he said, warmth coming into his voice as he spoke to her. Then ice filled it again as he snarled, "Just remember what I said, Dead Boy. Oh, and do remember that I keep my promises."

With that he turned and walked into the high school, finding Faith leaning against the wall of locker's nearest the door. The dark Slayer looked up at him and blinked at the anger on his face.

"Hey, babe, you're scarin' me with tha creepy face."

"Dead Boy's here," growled Xander as Willow came into the school behind him.

Faith's dark eyes widened and she chirped, "B's boytoy? Ooo, goody!"

"He's a vampire, Slaygirl," said the half devil.

"With a soul," chimed in Willow. There was a little quaver of nervousness in her voice and Xander mentally kicked himself for causing her to fear him. He turned his head to look over his shoulder at her and felt like something with jagged claws ripped a chunk out of his heart when she winced.

Just as he opened his mouth to apologize, he caught a whiff of Buffy's scent.

A very pissed off Buffy scent.

"Fuck," he muttered rather eloquently and turned around just in time to duck a punch from the Slayer.

"Shit! God damnit, Buffy!"

"Why did you threaten Angel?" shouted Buffy, missing him with a roundhouse kick. "_Hold still!_"

"So your mighty Slayery moves can actually hit me?" quipped Xander as he blocked another kick and rolled out of the way of a haymaker. "No, thanks, Buff!"

"_Why'd you threaten Angel!_"

A circle punch actually managed to make contact on the half devil's arm and he snarled, grabbing the Slayer by the shoulders. He then shoved her hard up against the wall of lockers opposite those Faith leaned against, pushing his face close to hers as he ignored Willow's yelp of alarm.

"Don't you get it, Buff?" he growled. "Yeah, you love him and he loves you but the two of you can never have a life! He's a vampire who loses his soul anytime he takes a romp in the bed sheets and you're the Slayer! The _Vampire_ Slayer! Plus there's that age difference and the you aging bit but that's beside the point. You. Can't. Be. Together. It's as simple as that."

Angry green eyes glared hard at her Xander-shaped friend then she caught his eyes. Despite his half-shouted words and the growl that was behind them, there was no anger in the crystalline blue eyes he now sported. There was only sadness there because of him having to tell her these things – and hope that she would listen to him.

Slowly, she relaxed, the anger leaving her posture and face, which caused the callused hands on her shoulders to relax as well. She then looked up into those blue eyes again and whispered, "You're right."

A sad smile drifted onto her friend's face and he shook his head, white hair falling over his eyes.

"Sorry to be so blunt about it. But…I had to make you see, Buff. With all the stuff going on now, we need you in top form. And you and Dead Boy moping over each other just don't cut it."

"Xan…"

"Can't help it," said Xander with a shrug. He frowned and continued, "I've never liked him, y'know that. Getting Dante in my head hasn't helped that any, as he doesn't like vamps. _At all._ I'll put up with Dead Boy for you, Buff, but…I won't see you hurt because of him. No way in any dimension am I gonna let one of my girls get hurt."

" 'Your girls?' " repeated Buffy with a small smile.

The half devil ran a hand through his hair, grinning sheepishly. Then he nodded and said, "Yeah. My girls. You, Wills, Slaygirl behind me…Hell, even Cordy when she's not being a pain. Yah gotta know I'm protective of the lot of you."

"I'll have you know I can protect myself very well!"

"Aw, calm down, B," chirped Faith. "Let him be all manly and protective. They like that."

"Hey, Slaygirl, calming the Buffster down is my job," said Xander, flashing a mock glare over his shoulder at the dark Slayer.

The girl shrugged and said, "Whatever. C'mon, Red. Let's leave these two to duke it out or kiss'n'make up or whatever they're gonna do."

Willow paled then giggled and followed the other Slayer, leaving Buffy and Xander in the hallway. The older Slayer and half devil blinked at each other then realized what was said and bellowed, "_FAITH!_"

"Kiss'n'make up, B! And enjoy it, X!"

Buffy turned scarlet at that then broke out in giggles as she heard Xander's soft chuckle. Slowly she looked up at him and asked, "Are we going to put up with that?"

"No way in hell is Slaygirl going to get one up on us," replied Xander with a wink and a grin. "C'mon. Let's go show her how to research the Scooby way."

"Will we have doughnuts?"

"Any kind you want, Buff."

The Slayer smiled and the two of them began to slowly walk towards the library, each aware of Angel lurking slightly behind them.

Just before they went through the doors, Buffy stopped and turned to Xander, who blinked down at her. She then went up on her tiptoe's and reached up to pull the white-haired young man's head down to kiss him on the chastely on the cheek.

"Wh-what was th-that for?" stammered Xander, his cheeks flushed pink. Damnit, he still had a fuckin' crush on her! Despite everything he'd done to get rid of the damned thing after she'd run away from her duty – something that still annoyed him but he could sort of understand why she'd done it.

But just _sort of._

Buffy smiled at him and replied, "For kicking me out of my rut. And being you no matter what."

The half devil laughed and, very aware of the sullen vampire watching them, wrapped his arm about the slim Slayer's shoulders.

"Anything for you, Buff," he said as he pushed the library doors open. "Anything for you."

* * *

"What's wrong, Xander?" asked Willow as the half devil scratched the back of his neck for nearly the hundredth time in an hour.

"I dunno," he replied. "It's kinda like what I feel whenever there are devil's around."

"But there's haven't been any devil's around except Acathla."

"Sorry, channeling Dante's memories there for a second."

Willow nodded then asked, "Should we tell Buffy?"

"I dunno," replied Xander, scratching the back of his neck again. "I mean, I know she's the Slayer and all but you guys have no idea how tough some of the devil's Dante's fought are. There are fights that I remember that I don't think even Buffy could survive! Hell, I'm surprised Dante did but he's a stubborn bastard."

_Plus I'm not certain we should be relying on her too much after all this crap that's happened_, he added to himself.

The redhead across from him fell silent then and poked at her meatloaf. Then she looked up as the half devil abruptly stood.

"Xander?"

"Something's wrong," he growled under his breath, blue eyes darting around the cafeteria. Then he looked down at her and added, "Something is really, really wrong."

He ran from the cafeteria then, leaving a confused Willow behind. Sprinting down the corridors past surprised students, he ignored Snyder as the principal shouted a detention at him for running in the halls.

Skidding around a corner, he burst out into the inner courtyard Sunnydale High sported and held back a groan. The back of his neck felt like it wanted to crawl off his body now, which was a clear indication that whatever was wrong was in the courtyard.

Hurriedly scanning the area, he spotted Cordelia across the way. For once she didn't have her little posse of Cordites, which he figured was his fault. They'd attempted a relationship and once he figured out that it wasn't going to work out, he called it off. She wasn't really his type and he had too much stuff he was dealing with right now. And he'd really gone out with her in an attempt to get over Buffy, which had made him feel like a sleaze.

Now her little posse probably was avoiding her as his cast-off.

Abruptly the girl she was talking to caught his attention. Blonde hair varying towards brown and green eyes…glowing green eyes. And a rather monstrous looking fa…

"Sonovabitch!" spat Xander as Dante's memories rang up a red flag.

He then took off at a dead run towards them, his ears picking up Cordelia saying, "I wish that Buffy Summers had ne…"

"_Anyanka!_" snarled the half devil, his voice overpowering whatever Queen Cordelia was going to say. He grabbed the other girl by the shoulder and jerked her about to face him, his eyes flashing scarlet.

The vengeance demon – who was, in actuality, a devil – blinked in confusion then sneered, "_Sparda!_"

"Close but no prize for you," quipped Xander. He then reached up and snatched her glowing green necklace, jerking it hard off her neck. "But _I_ do get a prize for clear recognition, so I'll take this."

"You can't!" exclaimed the devil, snatching at the necklace.

As he had a good six inches of height on her, he easily held the necklace out of her reach. She shrieked angrily and punched him in the chest, causing him to snarl and grab her about the throat.

"Don't. Do. That," he growled, giving her a little shake. Then he slipped back and did a little sorting through Dante's memories to when he'd come into contact with the she-devil. He then smirked and purred, "What did I tell you the last time we met, Anyanka?"

The green eyes widened and she exclaimed, "You can't!"

"Can't I?"

"It's what I _do_, damn you!"

Xander continued to smirk as he clenched his fist, channeling a bit of his power into it. Red lightning sparked from between his fingers and then there was a satisfying but slightly muffled crunch. He then opened his hand and let the shattered remains of the necklace fall to the ground, where he casually stomped on them.

Immediately the feeling he'd been getting faded away and he sensed almost every bit of devil energy flee from the girl struggling in his grasp as her power source was destroyed.

"Now you do what everyone else here does," he said, releasing her and taking a step back.

"And what's that?" sneered Anyanka, eyes flashing angrily. "Slay vampires in my spare time?"

The half devil shook his head then grimaced when he heard Snyder shout, "_HARRIS! MY OFFICE! NOW!_"

"Nah, survive under Darth Snyder's thumb," quipped Xander. "See yah."

"Waitaminute! Sparda, come back here! _Sparda!_"

He just waved at the angry ex-devil over his shoulder then began to pick broken shards from her necklace out of his hand. As he walked towards Snyder's office, Buffy came up behind him with a confused look on her face.

"What on earth was that about, Xander?"

"Preventing something very bad, Buff," came the reply. "Go ask Giles about vengeance demons, particularly one called Anyanka. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a date with Darth Snyder."

Winking at her and grinning, he then walked off, whistling the Imperial Death March as he did so. Buffy just stared after him for a moment then shook her head and went off to find Giles.


	8. Shoot the Works

**Disclaimer:** BtVS and nothin' else mine. 'Cept the plot. Sorta. Eh… General Xander costume something else Halloween episode fic. Also note that some of the characters may sound a bit off as I haven't watched Buffy in a long while and am running off memory of what they sound like as well as fanfics. Chapter titles come from all three DMC OST's.

**Chapter 8 – Shoot the Works**

Giles sighed and dropped a stack of battered library books on the table, glowering over his glasses at the teenagers sitting nearby.

Willow had her chair scooted as close to Oz's as possible and was asleep, her head pillowed on the werewolf's shoulder. Oz himself was trying to decipher one of the demonology books and scratching something completely different out on a nearby notebook.

On the other side of the table, Xander had his feet propped up on the table and had the front legs of his chair up in the air. He too was reading a demonology book and was grimacing every once in a while then marking something in the book with a mechanical pencil. Beside him, Buffy was nearly half asleep over another book, her chin propped on her fist.

"Ahem," coughed Giles.

Buffy and Willow both jumped and looked around in startlement at his voice. Oz and Xander, on the other hand, both calmly looked up and smiled nearly identical miniscule smiles.

"Oh, hi, Giles!" stammered Buffy. "Uh…we were just…"

"Sleeping," said the Watcher.

"No! So not sleeping! I mean, I wouldn't sleep!"

Xander let loose a low chuckle and said, "Ease up, Buff, he's just messing with you."

"What? Giles!"

"I've been caught," said the Watcher with a smirk towards the half devil. He then frowned and asked, "And what on earth are you doing to my book?"

"Fixing it."

"I bed your pardon?"

Xander sighed and glowered at the Englishman.

"Like I told you before, G-man, a lot of these demon books are wrong. Seriously so. I'm fixing the writer's mistakes." He then frowned and added, "I figured that would be a good thing. Y'know, so you and other people could know how to actually handle them if I'm not there."

"Right. Just don't tear any pages."

"Tear a page in your precious books? Me? _Never!_"

Giles frowned at the teenager and briefly contemplated hurling a book at his head. Instead he sat down, picked up one of the books needing rebinding and good-naturedly grumbled, "Prat."

"And very happily one, thank you!"

* * *

"G-man."

"Dear God, Xander!"

"Sorry," muttered the half devil, slinking out of the shadows in the library stacks. Besides his usual sparring matches with Buffy, he had begun to sort through Dante's memories in an attempt to get control of his devil powers. So far he'd managed to figure out that shadows really seemed to like him if he hid in them and how to channel small amounts of his devil power into things.

The older man sighed and pulled off his glasses, needlessly cleaning them for the 234,567,789th time. Then he frowned at the teenager and asked, "What is it?"

"What's up with Buffy?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean she's…off. There's something really, seriously wrong with her."

Giles frowned for a long moment then asked, "How can you tell?"

Xander shrugged and replied, "Her scent's all wrong, Giles! Generally she's got this kinda wild, untamed kinda scent."

"Wild?"

"It's the best that I can explain it!" exclaimed the half devil. Giles then took a closer look at him and noticed that he looked more agitated than the Watcher had ever seen him. Xander then continued, "Giles…G-man…what's going on? I swear Buff's losing her Slayer stuff. Last night we were patrolling and a vamp nearly staked _her_!"

"Its no…"

The Watcher then cut himself off, shaking his head. He couldn't just tell Xander it was nothing. In the state he was in, the boy was liable to attack him. Then again, he might just do the same if he told the truth…

Giles sighed and took off his glasses, tossing them on the table. He then ran a hand back through his hair and mumbled, "It's called the Cruciamentum."

"The whoziwhatsit?"

"The Cruciamentum," repeated Giles. "Otherwise known as an archaic exercise in cruelty."

Xander frowned then asked, "And how does this affect Buffy?"

"It's a test given to all Slayer's on their eighteenth birthday. Supposedly a rite of passage."

"What happens?"

The Watcher frowned.

"Giles," growled Xander, "what _happens_?"

"The Slayer, weakened by a series of injections, is locked in a room with a vampire and is meant to kill them without her powers. Basically it's just another way of the Watcher's Council toying with the Slayer."

There was a long silence then a low growl rumbled up out of the half devil's throat. Eyes glowing dimly scarlet, he snarled, "And you were part of this."

"Not by choice."

"How long have you been injecting Buffy?"

"I stopped," confessed Giles. "Nearly a week ago. By tomorrow or the next day she should be back to full strength."

"And this 'test' of the Council's?" growled Xander. "What are we going to do about that?"

" 'We?' "

"We," confirmed the half devil. "Nobody…and I mean _nobody_…tries to hurt one of my girl's and gets away with it. You tell me where this vamp is, G-man, and I'll go kill it before the Council even knows they're being backstabbed."

"Xander, there are better ways."

"Maybe. But can we do them in time? I mean, what's to stop them from injecting Buffy before she goes in when they find out you didn't? And what's to stop them from doing this to Faith? She's already not too keen on the Council and them putting her through that could break all the trust she's got in us." _All the trust she's got in me,_ he amended silently, knowing the brunette wasn't too fond of the rest of the gang but he had become her friend and somewhat confidant.

"True," said Giles. He then picked up his glasses and slipped them back on as he finished, "Fine. Let's go."

* * *

A knock at the door of the abandoned Sunnydale Arms boardinghouse made the two men inside jump in shock. They looked at each for a long moment then jumped again when whoever it was at the door knocked harder.

"Should we answer?" hissed one to his partner.

"No," replied the other. "He'd kill us."

"Not if I kill you first," hissed a dark voice from behind them. The two men turned and screamed, falling to the dusty floor and quickly backpedaling away from the angry scarlet eyes glaring at them from a shadow.

Xander, dressed all in black with a dagger in one hand and a stake in the other, stepped out of the shadow, his combat boots crunching on a piece of broken glass. He glared at the two men on the floor then snapped his head up towards the front door as an angry kick from Giles broke it down. The Watcher stormed into the room with a crossbow held at the ready and fixed a dark gaze on the two men.

"It's not polite to leave a guest waiting at the door," his growled in his Ripper voice.

"Y-you're n-n-not sup-p-posed to b-be here!" stammered one of the two men on the floor.

Xander grinned ferally at that and said, "Yeah, well, we had a little discussion. You're little Cruci-thingy? The Keep-The-Slayer – excuse me, _Slayers_ – Happy-And-Living Board had a meeting and we're vetoing your idea to put her up against a big bad vampire with no powers."

He then leaned forward and effortlessly picked up the man closest to him.

"So…where's the vamp?"

"B-back th-there!" stammered the man, pointing a shaking arm over the half devil's shoulder at a rickety door.

"Thanks, bub. G-man, I'll be right back…unless you want to do the dusting?"

"No, I am quite fine here, thank you, Xander," said the Watcher, his eyes darkly focused on the two men. "And I do believe Quentin shall return soon, so make it quick."

"Gotcha."

Turning, Xander walked over to the door and ripped it off its hinges with a shrug of his shoulder as well as some help from his devil side. Straight-jacketed inside what had been a closet, the vampire Kralik blinked at the white-haired young man who had just ripped the door off his prison.

"Ooo, thanks," he said with an evil grin, "I needed some air."

"You're about to get some more, demon scum."

Kralik's grin faded then and he began to struggle against his bonds.

"Hey, buddy, c'mon!" he said loudly. "No need to do anything drastic!"

Scarlet eyes met gold and the vampire shrank back in fear.

"A devil," he breathed in the same hushed voice as one would speak a holy word. Then he laughed and said, "A real live devil!"

Then his laugh turned into a choke and his body evaporated into dust that floated down to the floor. Xander stood for a moment, his stake-wielding hand still held out in the same spot where he'd staked the vampire, then smirked.

"Half devil, demon scum," he muttered before turning to find the two men had fainted and another British man was in the room with Giles' crossbow leveled at his chest. "Hi," he said brightly, waving his dusty hand. Then he grimaced and wiped the dust off on his pants. "Ew. Icky vamp dust."

"Rupert, what have you done?" gasped Quentin Travers, having heard every word Kralik had said. "How could you let that…_thing_…live!"

Giles' eyes flashed and he snarled, "He is not a thing, Quentin, he is a _person_. And still as human as he was before he was changed."

"You can't be serious, Rupert!"

"Oh, but I am, Quentin. Now, if you'll kindly excuse us. Xander?"

"Coming, G-man," said the half devil, pocketing his weapons as the Watcher let his crossbow drop. He then smirked at the other Brit and said, "Nice tah meetcha. Oh, and a word of advice? Don't _ever_ fucking mess with Buffy again or _consider_ touching a hair on anyone else." His eyes glimmered scarlet as he chuckled softly. "Elsewise we might have to have a little meeting. And I'd dare say it wouldn't go too well for you. Kapeesh?"

"…"

"Good man," chirped Xander, his eyes returning to normal as he clapped Quentin on the back hard enough to make the older man fall to his knees. "Oopsie."

"Xander!"

The half devil grinned again at Quentin then left the building, walking over to where Giles was sitting in his old Citroen. Quentin stared after him then staggered to his feet and shouted, "You're out, Rupert! _OUT!_"

"Good!" snarled Giles. He then floored it as soon as Xander got in the car, glaring at the road in front of them as they drove away as fast as the Citroen could go. Then he slowly turned to glance at his young accomplice, who was looking disturbed.

"Giles…you just got fired."

"I've been expecting it."

"Oh. Well."

"Buffy will get a new Watcher now," said Giles after a moment of driving in silence.

Xander sighed and grumbled, "Great. Bet he'll be a bloody pillock too." He then blinked when he realized what he'd just said and groaned, "Oh no…"

Giles roared with laughter at that whilst the half devil beside him glowered at him as they drove back towards the library.


	9. The Fallen Appearance

**Disclaimer:** BtVS and nothin' else mine. 'Cept the plot. Sorta. Eh… General Xander costume something else Halloween episode fic. Also note that some of the characters may sound a bit off as I haven't watched Buffy in a long while and am running off memory of what they sound like as well as fanfics. Chapter titles come from all three DMC OST's.

**Chapter 9 – The Fallen Appearance**

Xander frowned at the nervous looking Englishman standing in front of him. He then sniffed slightly and looked at Giles, saying, "He's human."

"You're certain?" said Giles, eying the young Watcher with a Ripperish look.

The half devil nodded slightly.

"Yeah, G-man, I'm certain. And tone down on the Ripper, you're scaring him."

"Scared!" exclaimed Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, the new Watcher. "Me! I beg your pardon, you…"

"Petrified then," corrected Xander with a feral grin. He then cocked his head to the side and asked, "I assume they told you about me?"

"You?"

"Yeah, me."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Quentin never mentioned anything about a devil working with the Slayer?" queried Giles with an arched eyebrow.

Wesley turned a shade of white equal to paste and stared at Xander. He then sagged against the library desk and muttered, "Oh dear," before fainting dead away.

Xander let loose with a chuckle of growling laughter that reminded Giles of when he'd been possessed by the hyena pack leader then bent down and zapped the unconscious man with a bit of devil power. The young Watcher bolted into a sitting position then scrambled to his feet and as far away from the half devil as he could, prompting more of the growling laughter.

"Now who's scaring him?" quipped Giles with a wry smile.

Blue eyes just twinkled mirthlessly at him in response and he shook his head. Then he turned towards Wesley and said, "Xander is no danger to anyone on the Hellmouth except those that harm his friends."

"Right," confirmed the half devil. He then sniffed the air and said, "Buffy's on her way, G-man. And so's Slaygirl."

"Good, good. Anything on Willow and Oz?"

"Nope. Think they went to a movie."

Wesley just blinked in confusion then stood up straight as the two Slayer's entered the library, talking animatedly between themselves.

"C'mon, B, you need a party break from slayage!"

"Yeah, I know…and hey, who's the newbie?"

Two pairs of curious eyes focused on the young Watcher and the dark-haired Slayer wolf-whistled.

"Well, hello, cutie," murmured Faith with a coy smile.

"Down, Slaygirl," said Xander softly. "G-man and I have already scared the pants off the guy."

"Ooo, X, I didn't know you ran that way..."

The half devil rolled his eyes and threw up his hands in mock defeat, causing Buffy to giggle.

Wesley coughed then and said, "Erm…allow me to introduce myself. Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, at your service."

"New Watcher?" asked the two Slayers as one.

"Yes," replied Giles as Xander chirped, "Yep!"

"He human?" asked Faith, remembering the last time someone had claimed to be a Watcher.

Xander grinned and replied, "No demony or devily vibes coming off him, Slaygirl. I checked. Twice."

"You're sure?" asked Buffy, green eyes worried. "I mean…I know you don't really know how to control…"

"Controls got nothin' to do with it, Buff." He jabbed his thumb towards Wesley and continued, "If he were a demon, I'd smell him. And if he were a devil, the back of my neck would be trying to crawl off and go die somewhere."

"Guess he's human then!" chirped Faith. "So…what's up?"

Wesley blinked in slack-jawed surprise at the three youths, causing Giles to sigh and take over.

"How many vampires did you girls get?"

"Fifteen," replied the two Slayers. "Most of 'em fledglings and weak one's on the lurk," added Faith.

"Good," said the now ex-Watcher. "I suppose that's it for tonight then."

"Aw," whined Faith, pouting. "But they didn't give us a challenge! I'm still all wound up and ready to kick some ass!"

Giles frowned then smirked in Xander's direction. The half devil blinked then caught what the older man was suggesting through his smirk and the glint in his eyes. He then wandered over to the weapons cabinet and pulled out two practice swords, tossing one towards Faith and the other at Buffy.

"Catch, girls!"

The two Slayers turned and caught the swords then stared at him. Wesley did the same whilst Giles just smirked.

"What's this for?" asked Faith, frowning.

Xander whipped out another practice sword, bringing it up into a vertical position in front of his nose before snapping it down into a diagonal from his hip. He then smirked at them and purred, "You wanted a fight, Slaygirl. So here's one: you and Buff against me."

Faith's dark eyes lit up at the idea then Wesley exclaimed, "You can most certainly not fight!"

Four pairs of eyes turned to stare stonily at the Watcher and he took a nervous step back, stammering, "W-well, I-I…"

"Oh, get on with it," grumbled Giles, waving his hand. He then reached out and shoved a still stammering Wesley down into a chair. "Just sit and watch, you bloody idiot. You might learn something that will help you survive here on the Hellmouth."

Xander grinned thankfully at Giles then turned back to the girls.

"Well?" he asked.

"C'mon, B!" exclaimed Faith, dark eyes bright. "We can take 'im!"

Buffy gave her fellow Slayer an exasperated look then glanced at Xander, ready to tell him to stop being so silly. She then burst out laughing when she found him looking at her with one of the most flawless Kicked Puppy expressions she'd ever seen.

"Alright," she said as she got her breath back. Across from her Xander's blue eyes sparkled happily and she made a mental note to make that happen more often. Since his second possession, her Xander-shaped friend hadn't been his usual self for a long time. And she wanted him back.

With that the sparring match began, the two Slayers against the magically created half devil as two Watcher's…well, _watched_.

* * *

Xander was jolted out of his sleep by the sound of someone banging on the door of his apartment. He'd managed to get a fake ID thanks to threatening Willy a little and had moved out of his parent's house nearly two months after he'd been turned into a half devil, using the money he'd earned from several odd jobs to buy the place. Buffy and Giles had been a bit annoyed with him for doing what he had when they'd found out a few months ago but he'd explained a little about what his home life had been like. The blonde Slayer had then hugged him tightly, muttering a quick apology, whilst Giles just looked at the young man he considered a son in a new light.

Guess they'd figured he'd had a happy childhood.

Clambering out of bed, he padded out of his bedroom and moved through the main room to the front door. The second he pulled the chain and unlocked it, a soaked and sobbing Faith collapsed into his arms.

Eyes widening with surprise, he hauled the Slayer up with one arm, closing the door hurriedly to keep the wind and rain out. He then picked her up in both arms and carried her into the bathroom, grabbing a towel from the cabinet under the sink. Then he proceeded to dry the sobbing Slayer's hair as she laid her head against his chest.

"Faith," he murmured, lifting her chin gently. The now damp towel fell down onto her shoulders as her dark eyes met his. "What happened?"

"I-I…_I killed a man_."

Xander blanched and leaned back in shock, causing Faith to burst out in more tears. He quickly leaned back towards her, knowing instinctively that she probably thought he was abandoning her. And he didn't want her to think that.

Plus he wanted to know what had happened to the smart-alecky Slayer with the sultry dark eyes who too often kept him company when he was feeling depressed. The only other time he'd seen her without that attitude was in the fight with Kakistos, the vampire that had killed her first Watcher and had started to hunt her down too. And on the rare occasion that they talked about their assorted bad places in life – hers a heck of a lot more bad than his from what little she'd revealed to him.

"Faith," he whispered, "it's okay."

"You-you're not mad?"

"It was an accident, wasn't it?"

The dark head now pillowed against his chest nodded and he smiled gratefully. There was Darkness in her; he'd known that ever since he met her. And he was glad that she hadn't been lost to it.

"Then all's okay with me," he whispered, knowing deep inside that it was the truth even if he was a bit disturbed by it. Even Dante had known that sometimes humans were the evil you had to get rid of, not the demons. "Now, c'mon. We've gotta get you out of these wet clothes before you catch a cold."

"Slayer's don't get colds, X," murmured Faith.

"Neither do devil's but that's beside the point," said Xander with an amused smile as he picked up the towel and rubbed at her hair again. He then frowned and asked, "You fallin' asleep on me?"

"No," mumbled Faith, contradicting the fact that he could hear her breathing evening out into sleep patterns and her scent was slowly conforming back into her usual one instead of the panicked one she'd had when she stumbled into his apartment.

"Yes, you are," he admonished, carefully sitting her upright. He then blushed scarlet and muttered, "Guess I'll have to get you out of those clothes myself. Oh hell…"

Dante's memories had shown him that the half devil hadn't been a stranger to women but Xander, on the other hand, was still a virgin. And despite the fact that he know knew all of Dante's tricks and had a kind of phantomy feeling of what sex was like, that didn't mean he still wasn't nervous about it. Or about the female body in general.

Shaking his head, Xander steeled himself then proceeded to strip the now unconscious Slayer. He somehow managed to do it without glancing too much at Faith's body or embarrassing himself. By the time he was done and had the Slayer – now clad only in a pair of his sweat pants and a white t-shirt – tucked in his bed, he collapsed onto his couch with a groan.

And silently prayed he never had to go through that again.

A small smirk then slid across his face as his eyes tiredly closed and he muttered, "At least not like that, anyway."

Seconds later he was as soundly asleep as the Slayer in the room next door.

* * *

At seven in the morning, Xander was jolted out of his sleep again by the sound of someone pounding at his door. Grunting, he hauled himself to his feet and made his sleepy way over to the door, stubbing his toes on a table leg as he went.

Cursing under his breath in a language that Giles probably didn't even know, he pulled back the chain and opened the door a crack to see who it was. Green eyes underneath a cloud of blonde hair sparked back at him and he opened the door all the way to allow Buffy entry.

"Hey, Buff," he muttered, cringing back as the sun hit his eyes. "Ow. Damn that's bright. So, what's up?"

Buffy, for her own part, found herself speechless. She was staring slack jawed at her Xander-shaped friend, who had changed a lot more than she had originally thought. All she had thought had changed with him was that he was now half devil and could fight a bit better.

She'd had no idea that the incident and the training afterwards had left him with actual muscles. Muscles that she was currently goggling at as he was just wearing blue jeans and no shirt.

Xander seemed to notice her staring and his cheeks flushed pink as he hurriedly stepped back behind the door.

"Er…yah comin' in, Buff?"

The Slayer shook her head to clear it then nodded and moved into the apartment, looking around at it before turning her gaze back on her friend.

"So…what's up?" asked Xander, nervously trying to cover his bare chest by crossing his arms. It didn't help.

Buffy tore her stare from his chest and looked up at his face. She then blinked hard twice and asked, "Um…well…we were wondering if you'd seen Faith. We were out patrolling last night and she…well…there was an accident and…"

"I know, Buff," whispered Xander, his gaze darting towards the floor.

"_What?_"

"She came here, sobbing her heart out last night. Told me she killed a man."

"Why you?" asked Buffy.

The half devil shrugged in response then said, "I dunno. Guess 'cause I've been telling her a lot of things when we patrol together. I figure she thought I'd be the only one who understood."

Jealously rippled through the blonde Slayer as he mentioned him and her sister Slayer patrolling together but it was just sisterly jealousy. Xander was like a brother to her and with all the not-so-good relationships he'd had in the past, any possible new one was under suspicion by both her and Willow. She then looked up at him and asked, "Where is she?"

"Bedroom," he replied. "Surprised she didn't wake up when you came pounding on the door."

Buffy nodded and started to move in that direction but was stopped by Xander's hand. When she looked up at him in surprise, he said, "Lemme go. She probably thinks you're pissed at her."

"I was," confessed the blonde. At Xander's angry look, she hurriedly added, "She said she didn't care, Xander!"

"Defense mechanism. I…damnit, I mean Dante did the same thing for a long time. He just denied the fact that his mother and brother had been killed by devils. Then he got a dose of reality when one killed one of his friends and that was when he decided to hunt them. And this was before he even knew he was half devil."

Buffy blinked and stared at him for a long moment then nodded her consent. Xander smiled and bent over to kiss the top of her head, ruffling her hair. He smiled and muttered, "You're an angel, Buff," then fled towards the bedroom to wake up Faith.

Xander carefully padded over to the lump in his bed and reached out to shake it. Faith sat up with a surprised yelp that sent her sister Slayer running into the bedroom.

The dark Slayer caught sight of the blonde and shrank back, causing Xander to lean towards her and place a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay," he whispered reassuringly. "She doesn't hold it against you."

Dark eyes looked at him in fear then turned towards Buffy. Faith was truly afraid that her sister Slayer was going to desert her after what she'd said to her in the alley the night before after accidentally killing Deputy Mayor Finch. She had tried to convince herself afterwards that she hadn't cared but couldn't. Before she'd arrived in Sunnydale and met her new…dare she call them friends?…she might have been able to do it. But now…after hanging out with Xander, Red, B and the ever-silent Oz she just couldn't. Even Giles had started to grow on her.

If Buffy abandoned her…she didn't know what she'd do.

"B?" she breathed out cautiously.

Green eyes met dark and then the petite blonde was across the room and on the bed, tugging her sister Slayer into a hug.

"You scared me, you know that?" hissed Buffy into Faith's ear. "I thought you'd lost it."

"Me too," whispered Faith, hugging her 'sister' tightly. "Thanks, B."

"Anytime, F," said Buffy with laughter in her eyes and voice. "I don't know how we're going to deal with this but we'll do it together, I promise you."

"In this town they'll say it was some crazy person," said Xander softly, causing the two Slayer's to look at him. He shrugged and sat down on the edge of the bed near them and added, "I'm just glad you didn't lose it, Slaygirl. Nobody else'll throw quips back and forth with me."

Faith stuck out her tongue at him then laughed through the happy tears streaming down her cheeks.

"You ass," she hissed, shaking her head.

Xander just grinned then yelped in surprise as the two Slayers jerked him into a hug.

"Hey, hey! Hands, Slaygirl, _hands_!"

"Faith!"

"What? I can't thank him properly?"

"_Faith!_"

"Oh, you want him first, I see…"

Xander sighed and looked up at the ceiling of his bedroom as the two Slayers began to have a pillow fight over his head. Then a pillow hit him and he blinked before growling gamely and grabbing up the third pillow and joining in.

As he got Faith then was shoved down onto the bed by Buffy jumping on his back, he smiled inwardly. He wasn't the human of the group any longer or the demonic punching bag but he still did one thing just the same.

He made his friends smile.

And that was really all Xander needed.


	10. Show Time!

**Disclaimer:** BtVS and nothin' else mine. 'Cept the plot. Sorta. Eh… General Xander costume something else Halloween episode fic. Also note that some of the characters may sound a bit off as I haven't watched Buffy in a long while and am running off memory of what they sound like as well as fanfics. Chapter titles come from all three DMC OST's.

**Chapter 10 – Show Time!**

Xander and Faith were in the library sparring with practice swords when Buffy came in with one hand on her head. The half devil immediately blanked his mind as best he could as he remembered the blonde Slayer was infected with the telepathic abilities of a demon she'd killed. It really wouldn't do for her to get some idea of what was stuck in his head.

For a few minutes it looked like it was working as she looked up and smiled at him then her expression turned to one of horror.

"Oh my God, Xander," she breathed as she stared at him. "All those demons…and was that Hell? Oh…"

"_Buffy!_"

The half devil had dropped his sword and moved to catch the collapsing Slayer so quickly that even Faith had trouble following him. He carefully levered the blonde up into his arms and threw a concerned look at his sparring partner.

"Looks like it just got worse," he said softly.

"Damn," muttered the dark-haired young woman. "I'll go hunt down Giles and Wussley."

Xander just nodded and watched her as she left then looked down at the unconscious young woman curled in his arms.

"Oh, Buff, what am I gonna do with you?" he muttered to himself before carrying her into Giles office and the couch there.

When he came back out of the office, Faith had returned with Giles and Wesley in tow. Both older men looked concerned and he frowned, saying, "We've got to fix this. Now."

"What happened?" asked Giles, worry for the girl he felt as a surrogate daughter showing in his voice.

"Slaygirl there and me were sparring when Buff came in. I thought all was fine and dandy despite the telepathy stuff and then…"

"What?" asked Wesley impatiently as Xander trailed off.

"She got in my head. Saw some stuff…well, some stuff I really would rather she hadn't seen."

Both Giles and Faith paled as the half devil had told both of them a bit about the sort of things Dante had done and what he'd been through. Most of it wasn't that pretty.

Xander sighed and shook his head, muttering, "I just hope she didn't see my…Dante's mom's murder. That…that's not a very pleasant memory."

Faith frowned and reached out to touch his shoulders.

"Hey, X, you know you're slippin' don't'cha? Nearly talkin' like you're him and all?"

"Yeah, I know, Slaygirl… Damn, but I know."

He then shook himself and looked at the three, saying, "But my own problems aren't what we need to be concerned with. I can deal with them on my own. Right now we gotta figure out how to fix Buff."

"We need the d-demon's h-heart," stammered Wesley, who was still a bit nervous around Xander. "For a p-potion."

"Heart of the demon. Right. Slaygirl, you ready to do some hunting?"

"Always, X."

"Good. G-man, you and Nancy Boy get ready to make that potion when we get back," said Xander as he moved over to the weapons cabinet and pulled out two swords, tossing one over to Faith. He then grabbed two pairs of leather gloves and tossed them to the dark Slayer as well, who stared at him. "Don't want this happenin' again," he said with a wink then was gone.

Faith blinked then pulled on the gloves and waved at the two Watchers before disappearing.

Wesley finally managed to gather himself up and sputtered, "N-Nancy B-B-Boy! H-how dare h-he!"

Giles gave the younger man an amused look then cuffed him on the shoulder, saying, "Come on, Nancy Boy, we've got work to do."

"Not you too, Mr. Giles!"

* * *

The next day Buffy was telepathy free and was raking the school over furiously during lunch in search of Xander. Willow pulled herself from cuddling with Oz for long enough to suggest she look outside and the blonde Slayer took her suggestion.

She found the white-haired half devil sitting with his back to a tree in the grass, his eyes closed. As she approached him slowly and as quietly as possible, she saw his nostrils flare and smiled. A moment later the crystalline blue eyes winked open and a smile twisted his lips.

"Hey, Buff," he murmured. "Wanna sit?"

She just nodded and sank down into the grass beside him, looking at him for a long moment. Then she let out a hiss of air through her teeth and muttered, "How do you do it? How do you get by with all that…stuff…in your head?"

"Just keep living," replied Xander, opening his eyes fully to look at her.

"But all those devils…"

"Some demons and vamps too," he said softly. "Look, I do it just like you and Faith, Buff. You go out nearly every night and patrol and kill things that used to be human. How do you deal with it?"

Buffy stared at him in shock for a moment.

Then she murmured, "Just keep on living."

"Exactly."

They sat in silence for a moment then Buffy whispered, "It feels real to you, doesn't it?"

Xander was silent for a moment, his eyes staring off into the distance, and then he nodded sharply. Swallowing hard, he ducked his head and muttered, "Yeah. It feels real. Way too damn real, sometimes. I keep expecting to wake up and be in the Devil Never Cry and hear Trish downstairs. But I never do. Or to have a devil burst through my front door and try to kill me. But it never happens. It's…it's just way too damn real, Buff."

The blonde Slayer looked at her friend for a long moment then scooted close to him and threw her arms about his neck, pillowing her head on his chest. She felt him stiffen slightly then his arms slowly came around her and pulled her close. He leaned his head against hers and whispered, "Thanks, Buff," after a long moment.

Buffy smiled as she remembered something he'd said to her after he'd opened her eyes to her and Angel never happening the way they wanted.

"Anything for you, Xander," she whispered.

"You really are an angel," he muttered into her hair, chuckling softly.

Buffy smiled into his shirt, happy she had made her friend laugh again. Then she lifted her head and asked, "Are you okay?"

Xander blinked at that.

"What do you mean, Buff?"

"I mean just what I said. Are you okay?"

He heard the worry in her voice and winced as he lied, "Yeah, I'm okay."

The blonde frowned like she didn't believe him then they both heard the bell announcing the lunch period was ending. As he rose and helped her to her feet, Buffy glared at the young man she considered a brother and growled, "You're lying to me, Xan."

"We've all got secrets, Buffster," said Xander, not meeting her eyes. "Let me deal with mine."

"Xan, we can help."

"No," whispered Xander as he walked back towards the school, trying not to think of how inept he felt despite his shiny new powers. "You can't."

Buffy could only stand and look hopelessly after her friend as he walked off.

* * *

"Ooo, maroon. I love maroon."

"That's Dante talking, isn't it?" asked Buffy as she and Xander picked up their graduation gowns and wandered towards the library.

"Not really," he replied with a smile. "His favorite color's red."

"Hence the all red outfit?"

"You betcha."

"Hey, hey, guys, did'j'ya hear?"

"Hear what?" asked Buffy as Willow came rushing up behind the two of them with her graduation robes under one arm and a computer printout in the other.

"The Mayor is going to give the commencement speech at the graduation ceremony!"

The half devil and Slayer blinked at this new twist in things then looked at each other for a long moment.

"Well," said Xander, "that throws a wrench into any ideas of a normal graduation."

"Hey, even prom wasn't normal," quipped Buffy, referring to the Hellhounds trained to attack the prom goers that she, him, Angel, and Faith had hunted down for most of that night. "You expect graduation to be?"

"Not really. Just felt like complaining about the lack of normalcy. I'd love some just once."

"Wouldn't we all?" sighed Buffy. She then looked at her two friends and said, "Suppose we should see if Giles knows anything new about the Ascencen thingy."

"Ascension," corrected Xander and Willow as the three of them headed towards the library. Anyanka, who they just happened to be walking by as they spoke, nearly dropped her books in surprise and stared after them. Then she opened her locker and shoved the books in before taking off at a run.

"Sparda!"

"Damnit, stop calling me that!" exclaimed Xander, turning around to glare at the ex-demon running up behind them. "It's Xander for the hundredth time, Anya."

Anyanka – or now Anya Jenkins as she'd begun calling herself – frowned at him then asked, "Why were you talking about an Ascension?"

The three Scoobies blinked at each other then Buffy asked, "Why do you want to know?"

"Because I witnessed one."

Willow and Buffy both blinked in shock but Xander just reached out and grabbed the ex-demon by the wrist, dragging her with him as he took off towards the library again.

"C'mon," he growled. "Tell us everything you know."

"Or what?" snipped Anya, annoying at him hauling her about.

"Or I'll rip your head off your shoulders. And despite the fact that I'm _not_ Dante Sparda, I can damn well do that, so don't think I won't."

"She's not a demon anymore, Xander. You can't kill her," hissed Buffy in his ear suddenly.

"I know," he hissed back to her with a grin. "But _she_ doesn't know that."

"Sneaky bastard."

"Oh but yes."

* * *

Xander walked into the library after carrying out the last load of books to find Buffy sitting on the table they spent so much time researching at crying. He rushed over to her side and pulled her into his arms before he even knew what he was doing, resting his chin atop her head. She curled up in his arms, turning her head to bury it in his sweat-stained black t-shirt.

"What happened?" he whispered, his heart aching for the girl he'd thought of as a sister after he'd gotten over his crush on her as he smelt the sadness rolling off of her.

"Angel's leaving," she mumbled into his chest.

"You still love him."

"Always will." She then pulled away from him and kissed him on the cheek with a small smile. "Thanks, Xan."

"For what?" asked the half devil, confused.

She continued to smile and reached up to touch his face, saying, "For being you. And caring about me after all I've done."

"Hey, you did what you thought you had to, Buffster. I don't hold it against yah. (_Not any more, at least_, he added silently.) You know that. Now, c'mon, pull yourself together. We need all of you focused on this."

Buffy just nodded then took a deep breath.

It took her a few moments to pull herself back together and then she smiled at him, a shaky but true one.

"I'm ready."

He frowned at the shaky smile but heard the steel in her voice. And a sniff of her scent gave him the confirmation that her sadness at Angel's leaving was fading away, replaced by her usual wild scent that she shared with Faith that he just couldn't describe no matter how he tried.

"Good," he whispered with a smile. Then he grabbed her hand and led her out of the library to finish their preparations.

* * *

"Congratulations to the class of 1999. You've all proved more or less adequate. This is a time of celebration, so sit still and be quiet. _Spit out that gum!_ Please welcome our distinguished guest speaker, Sunnydale's own Mayor, Richard Wilkins the Third. _I saw that gesture. You see me after Graduation._"

Xander sighed and turned his head to look back at Buffy and Willow rows behind him. The blonde gave him a dazzling smile despite what they both knew was coming and he returned it before smiling at his best friend. Willow blinked a bit then smiled sheepishly at him. But there was a glow about her despite the situation that caused the Dante half of his mind to immediately connect the dots and figure out that she and Oz had had sex. And he couldn't be happier for them.

He just hoped they both survived this and had the chance to be happy.

The sky went dark then and he turned back around to see the Mayor start to falter in his speech. His nostrils flared as he smelt pain and then the back of his neck started to crawl.

That was when he realized that the Mayor wasn't turning into some upper-class demon but a true blue devil.

"Fuck," he muttered right before the Mayor transformed into a giant serpent and promptly ate one of the guests as they tried to flee.

"_NOW!_" roared Buffy from behind him and the senior class surged to their feet, throwing their robes off to reveal an entire armory of medieval weaponry. A few jerked flamethrowers up and began to attack the Mayor, prompting him to eat a student.

Snyder quickly followed the youth into the monsters maw.

Xander turned then at a yell from Oz and saw the vampires coming up behind them and shouted, "Rear attack! Everyone _FIRE!_" Students armed with arrows began to fire on them, killing a few, which caused them to try and run. But a group with Angel, Faith and Wesley in the lead had rushed in to block off their exit and began to dust the creatures of the night with a great deal of pleasure.

The half devil turned back towards the giant serpent to see its tail hit Larry hard enough to kill him. He then saw the devil turn its ugly head towards Buffy and lunge downward at her with astonishing speed.

The blonde Slayer had her back towards the creature that had been the Mayor as she fended off two vampires and didn't see the attack coming. Just as she dusted the two vamps and turned, something dark with scarlet eyes flashed past her and slammed into the serpent's head.

Staggering backwards, she stared up in shock to see a winged figure in what looked to be red and black armor twisting and turning in the air as the Mayor snapped at it. There was a flash of white hair and scarlet eyes glancing down towards her then the winged form spun and screamed a wordless cry of challenge at the serpent.

"Xander," she breathed after a moment, realizing almost instinctively that the armored figure was his devil form. Then she spun as she sensed a vampire coming up behind her and leapt into the fray once more.

In the air, Xander couldn't even comprehend how he'd managed to transform into his full devil form. He hadn't even managed to get that far in his training with his devil powers. So the only logical reason for it was that when he saw Buffy in danger he'd reacted instinctively. And apparently his instincts had told his body to transform in order to save her.

The serpent's fanged jaws snapped at his foot then and he folded his wings, dropping down then soaring back up as he reopened them. Then he spun with a snarl and dived down, slashing his taloned hands across the Mayor's hideous snout. A pained cry came from the devil and it snarled, "You little half-blooded wretch!"

"Come'n get me," growled Xander, hovering and motioning the big devil forward.

The serpent snarled and lunged at him, mouth open wide to snatch him from the air. But Xander spun and dived down into the school, shouting, "Come on, you worthless beast! You're nothing but scum! Having to use a _spell_ to become a full devil. _HA!_"

"_WRETCH!_"

_Gotcha_, thought Xander as he landed, folding his wings tightly against his back as he took off running through the corridors. He heard the big serpent coming right behind him, its passage ripping lockers from the walls and making new doors.

Grinning ferally, he burst through the doors of the library, hearing them fly off the hinges inches behind him as the Mayor burst through. Spinning about, Xander waved a taloned hand and chirped, "C-ya!" before launching himself backwards through one of the windows in Giles' office.

The Mayor turned and saw the explosives in the room then and seemed to frown.

"Well, gosh…"

Giles set off the explosives as he saw something dark and winged come out his office window – which he could only assume was Xander – and then grinned Ripperishly as the whole school went up in flames. He then stood up and dusted off his hands before stuffing them in his pockets and walking off to where the graduation ceremony had taken place, whistling softly.

Back at the ceremony spot, Buffy and Faith staked the last vampire as one. Then the petite blonde looked at the flaming school and paled severely. It was supposed to have been her who lured the Mayor into the library, not Xander. If he was dead…

"Don't worry, B," said Faith, catching the look on her sister's face. "He's okay."

"How do you know?" asked Buffy in a meek voice.

The dark Slayer smiled and nodded over the blonde's shoulder.

"Because he's right behind you."

Buffy spun and launched herself at the black and red figure lurking behind her, hugging him tightly. She then reached up and grabbed his face in her hands, hissing, "Don't you ever scare me like that again, Xan!" Then she pulled back from him and looked in wonder at the red and black armor that covered his body before peering at the wings that towered behind him.

She caught the slightly frightened look in the scarlet eyes then and took one of his taloned hands, squeezing it tightly as she realized he was scared that she might turn away from him in this form. One of her dazzling smiles crossed her face then and she whispered, "You make a handsome devil."

The scarlet eyes softened then and Buffy found herself hauled off her feet as Xander hugged her close to him. She looped her arms about his neck and buried her face in his armored shoulder, feeling giddily happy that her surrogate brother was alive.

A cough interrupted their hug and they both look over to see Giles standing there. He then smiled at the two of them, happy to see them both unscathed, and said, "You'd better hide or get back to normal, my boy. The ambulances and fire department are on their way."

Xander grinned, his fangs bright in the black face of his devil form, and said, "You betcha, G-man." Then he reached inside himself and focused on the devil energy swirling wildly inside his body still, mostly thanks to the adrenaline pumping through his system. It gave him a little fight but he eventually won out and his devil half retreated – mainly because it was unused to the use of its full form and was tiring out.

Buffy watched in awe as the young man she finally seen for the good friend he really was and felt for as a brother shrank from the seven-foot frame his devil form accorded him back to the six foot two one that the Halloween spell had given him. The armor that covered his body then melted away, revealing the same black t-shirt from earlier and tattered blue jeans. Then the scarlet faded from his eyes, leaving them blue once more, and the spikes his white hair had formed into fell back into its habitual shaggy mane.

He grinned down at her then said, "C'mon. Let's go see the gang."

Faith hugged Xander briefly when they arrived, kissing him chastely on the lips and blushing slightly enough that only Buffy noticed. A slightly soot-covered Willow leapt on her best friend a second later and nearly hugged the life out of him, blabbling out that if he ever scared her like that again, she'd do something really nasty to him. She didn't know what yet but he was rest assured that it would be very, very nasty and he wouldn't like it at all.

"Gotcha, Wills," he muttered before sinking tiredly down onto a surviving bench, pulling Buffy and Faith down on either side of him. The blonde frowned at him then leaned her head against his shoulder like her sister Slayer was doing on his other side.

Angel abruptly appeared, eyes dark when he saw them. Buffy lifted her head and looked at him for a long moment and the souled vampire smiled. He then looked at Xander and said, "You take care of her."

"I will," swore Xander, to both the vampire and himself. "You can be sure of that, Dead Boy."

"Good. Otherwise I'd have to kill you."

"You could try."

Angel smiled slightly and said, "Yeah, I could," before he turned and walked off.

"We made it," said Oz dazedly then as he and Willow joined them on the bench. Cordelia wandered up behind them as well with Wesley's arm resting comfortably around her shoulders.

"Yeah," said Xander. "We survived high school."

"Hoo," commented Willow with a tired grin.

Cordelia sniffed and said, "I knew we'd make it."

"You and your foreseeing, Queen C," quipped Xander as he gently shifted the girls and got up. He then stretched, rolling his right shoulder then look down at his friends. "Y'know what?"

"What?" asked Buffy.

"I think we need to celebrate."

"Paaaaaaaartaaaaaaay!" cried Faith with a happy whoop.

Willow smiled and looked at Oz, who smiled in return.

"I like parties," he said softly.

"Me too," she said. Then she looked at her oldest friend and chirped, "Let's go!"

"You betcha, Wills," said Xander. "Hey, G-man!"

Giles turned and arched an eyebrow at the half devil.

"Party?"

The ex-Watcher's other eyebrow rose to join the other then he shrugged, laughed and said, "Why not?"

"Your place," added the half devil with an evil grin.

"Oh bugger…"

"Xander!" admonished Buffy, punching him in the chest.

"Ow! Whaaaaaaaaaat?"

"Sneaky bastard."

Xander just grinned down at her and said, "You betcha."

He then noticed Faith trying to sneak off and grinned devilishly before picking her and her sister Slayer up and throwing both over his shoulders as the Scooby Gang went off to celebrate surviving their graduation and another battle on the Hellmouth.

"B?"

"Yes, Faith?" asked Buffy as the two Slayer's dangling over the half devil's broad shoulders.

"We're gonna have to seriously humiliate him for this, yah know that, right?"

"Yes. You hear that, Xander? _Serious humiliation!_"

A deep laugh bubbled out of the half devil's throat and he said, "I look forward to it, girls! But first we have to celebrate! The Mayor's dead, we're alive, but guess what's best?"

The two Slayers looked at each other then at the back of his head and said, "What?"

"Schooooooool's out for the summer!"

**Author's Notes**

Please note that in this story Xander does not go on his road trip at the end of Season 3 in this story.


	11. Dance With Devils

**Disclaimer: **BtVS and nothin' else mine. 'Cept the plot. Sorta. Eh… General Xander costume something else Halloween episode fic. Also note that some of the characters may sound a bit off as I haven't watched Buffy in a long while and am running off memory of what they sound like as well as fanfics. Chapter titles come from all three DMC OST's.

**Chapter 11 – Dance With Devils **

"All together again!" chirped Buffy as she spotted Willow and Oz walking across the UC Sunnydale campus.

"'Cept for Queen C," said Xander beside her, lifting a hand in an attempt to brush his hair out of his eyes. The white mane just fell back and he grunted in annoyance, causing the blonde Slayer walking beside him to chuckle. He frowned at her then smiled and asked, "What's Slaygirl doing now?"

"I think she got a job at a construction site. From what I heard from Giles, the guy in charge was going to brush her off…till she took a swipe at him with a steel girder."

The half devil laughed at the mental image of the dark Slayer holding a steel girder several inches taller than her over one shoulder and grinning her habitual wild grin. Then he hugged the blonde beside him close and asked, "Whatdaya say we go find you some books since you decided to drag me along on your escapade?"

"Sure."

Xander grinned then and steered her in the direction a map he'd snagged from Student Services showed the library was. When they found it after bumbling into a completely different building, he whistled softly at the size of the place.

"Damn. G-man'd have a fit if he saw this place."

"Bet they don't have any demony books," whispered Buffy.

"And you'd win," hissed Xander with a smirk.

The blonde smiled up at him then chirped, "Hey, psych books!" She rushed out from under his arm over to the bookcase where the aforementioned books were stacked precariously on top. As she jumped up to try and reach one, the whole stack wobbled and fell…right on the head of a guy crouching, unfortunately, underneath them.

"OhmiGod, I'm sorry!" exclaimed Buffy, helping him to his feet. "Are you okay?"

The guy shook his head and grinned lopsidedly at her as Xander jogged over, saying, "Yeah, I'm okay. Not every day a beautiful girl drops a pile of books on my head." He then held out a hand and said, "Riley Finn."

Buffy took the hand with a smile and pumped it, saying, "Buffy Summers." She then felt Xander's hands on her shoulders and added, "And this is my friend, Xander."

"Yo," said the half devil shortly, glowering a bit at the other male. He could clearly smell the guy's attraction to Buffy and there was something else that just didn't smell right about the guy. Not that he was jealous. Just damnably protective.

"Hey," said Riley with a small wave, doing a slight double take at Xander's white hair. He then looked down at the pile of books that were now scattered amongst the paperwork he'd been carrying and looked up with a small grin. "Taking psychology?"

Buffy nodded and hurriedly apologized again for dropping the books on his head, which Riley waved away. She then gathered up the books only to have them plucked from her hands by Xander with a smile.

"Gimme those, you klutz," he admonished and sat them on a lower shelf where there was room. Then he picked up a book and tucked it under his arm, saying, "There. Now we are armed with one book. Ah, the college road looks so much easier now that we have this one book."

Buffy mock-glared at his antics and slapped his arm lightly. She then turned to Riley and said, "Sorry for dropping the books on your head again."

He just grinned in response and said, "Eh, I've got psych on my brain all the time anyway. See you later."

"Bye! Hey, Xan, what's wrong?"

"Somethin' smells fishy about him."

Buffy sniffed the air then said sheepishly, "You didn't mean real fish, did you?"

Xander laughed and smiled down at his brilliant but sometimes wayward friend. He then shook his head and said, "No, Buff, not real fish."

"Right. So what smells fishily about him?"

"Dunno. Can't place it. But I'm gonna keep an eye on him…for more than that reason as well."

The blonde frowned as they went in search of the books for her other classes. Then she exclaimed, "You're jealous!"

"Can't deny it," quipped Xander as he picked up the book for Willow's history class – she'd missed it and had asked him to snag it for her. "Though in a completely non-boyfriendish way. You're the sis I never had, y'know. Well, you and Wills both."

Buffy frowned and asked, "What about Faith?"

"What about Slaygirl?"

"You didn't mention her."

Xander turned a bit pale and stammered, "Didn't I? Well, silly me. Now, c'mon. Let's go buy these things then go and hunt down your dorm."

"Xander!"

"Whaaaaaaat?"

Buffy sighed and shook her head, wondering when her surrogate brother and her fellow Slayer – who she knew for _sure_ was enamored with the half devil – would stop avoiding things and just get together.

* * *

A low growl coming from Xander caused Willow to turn and stare at her oldest friend. Then she slowly reached out and touched his shoulder, making him jump then snap his head towards her and glare.

"Um…badness?" she queried, squirming a bit under his gaze.

The blue eyes that flickered with scarlet stared at her for a moment then, with a single blink, were normal again. Xander grunted and growled, "That sleaze over there is eying Buffy."

"Who?" asked Oz, arching an eyebrow as he joined them at their table in the Bronze.

The half devil grunted again and pointed towards a guy at another table. His two friends turned to look and Oz arched an eyebrow.

"Parker Abrams," he said after a moment. "I've got Calculus with him."

"He's watching Buffy?" asked Willow.

Xander nodded.

"He's a sleaze," he growled softly. "I can smell the lust and women on him from here."

"Correction: he _wants_ Buffy," said Willow.

"He touches her and I'll rip his hand off. And his arm. Not to mention several other body parts, particularly one he likes to use."

Oz paled at that and Willow's face screwed up in slight revulsion.

"Um…waaaaaaay too much information."

"Yeah," agreed the werewolf.

"Sorry."

Three pairs of eyes snapped towards the sound of a slap then and saw a furious looking Buffy glaring at a shocked Parker. Xander growled again and looked quite ready to leap across the distance between them and rip the interloper apart.

The blonde Slayer started to walk away from Parker but he reached out and grabbed her arm, a determined expression on his face.

"Ooo, he's in trouble," commented Willow as Buffy froze in midstep.

Xander just grinned widely as the Slayer slapped Parker again, this time hard enough to send him flying a good five feet. She then turned and stormed back over to their table, sitting down in her chair with a huff and a flash of angry green eyes.

Then she let out a squeal as the half devil lifted her half out of her chair in a hug. When she was sat back down, she slapped him lightly then grumbled, "What a goon. A handsome goon but a goon."

" 'Handsome?' " repeated Xander incredulously.

"Only a little," replied Buffy, nudging him lightly with her shoulder. "I can find better, Xan."

"You better believe it."

"That idiot," said Oz suddenly.

The two looked up in confusion and the werewolf pointed over his shoulder at Parker, who was up, furious, and looking like he wanted another round of Catch Buffy And Bed Her.

Xander blinked then glowered. "Persistent, isn't he?"

"Uh-huh. Looks like I'm going to have to hurt him again."

Buffy started to climb out of her chair but Xander held her still, a feral grin slipping across his face. She noticed it and frowned.

"What are you planning?"

"Just scaring the shit out of Moron over there so he doesn't bother you anymore."

"It won't involve bloodshed, right?"

"No, ma'am."

The Slayer smiled, shrugged, and said, "Then it's good." She then grinned conspiratorially and asked, "What are you planning?"

Xander just grinned in reply then looked at Oz, saying, "I think it's time we walked the girls back to their dorms, Wolfman."

"Okay."

They took a moment to gather their stuff then left the Bronze…with Parker trailing right behind them. They walked slowly and casually back towards the UC Sunnydale campus, Xander speaking in low tones as he explained what he was going to do. Willow called him evil for it but smiled, which told the half devil she was joking. Oz just smiled and nodded while Buffy grinned a wicked grin that Xander knew was Faith inspired.

They all separated halfway across campus and Xander continued to escort Buffy to her dorm. He checked briefly to see if Parker was still following them and was delighted to find he _was_ that persistent. Apparently no one had ever turned him down before and he couldn't stand it.

At the bottom of the steps leading up to the dormitory's front door, Xander bent and gave Buffy a warm hug, using it to murmur, "See you in a minute," in her ear. Then he disappeared into the night.

The Slayer smiled after him then slowly began to make her way up the stairs, jingling her keys in her pocket. Footsteps running up from behind her made her turn and she was surprise to find herself tackled by Parker. His body drove hers down onto the steps and his mouth was abruptly crushed to hers.

"Nobody turns me down," he growled as he slid his hands up under her shirt.

"I did," snarled Buffy, sliding her leg over and bringing it up between his legs. Hard.

He howled in pain and punched her angrily. Then he leaned back down to take another kiss but never quite made it.

A red and black armored hand whipped out from a shadow and snapped around Parker's neck, lifting him effortlessly up and off Buffy. As he struggled against it, a seven-foot tall winged form in the same armor stepped out of the shadows, its scarlet eyes glimmering darkly.

"Abrams, you've been a bad, bad boy," it purred, fangs flashing bright white in the dark.

Parker paled and gasped, "Wh-what the hell?"

"Exactly!" chirped Xander, lifting him a bit higher. "See, Parky, you just messed with a friend of mine. And since I'm such a nice guy, I'm gonna give you some advice."

"Y-y-yeah?"

"Yeah. Leave town. Tonight."

"Y-your joking!" exclaimed Parker. He then gagged as Xander jerked him close to his face, scarlet eyes boiling with anger.

"Do I look like I'm joking, Parky?"

Parker really looked at what was holding him a foot off the ground and not even breaking a sweat. Then he promptly pissed his pants and fainted dead away.

With a sneer, Xander dropped the limp body now dangling from his hand in his own piss then turned towards his surrogate sister. Stepping towards her, he lifted her chin in one taloned hand and glowered at the bruise forming on her face.

"Hey, no biggie," murmured Buffy, seeing the look. "I get hit all the time, y'know."

"I know. But most of the vamps are trying to kill you, not jump your bones. There's a subtle difference."

The half devil glared over his shoulder at Parker then looked down at the blonde with a gentle smile, something rather hard to achieve in his full devil form but he managed it.

"You'll still be careful, right, Buffster? Just in case he's even more of an idiot than I already think he is?"

She just smiled up at him then hugged him, pressing her face carefully against his armored chest. A chuckle rumbled up out of his throat as he folded his arms about her.

He murmured, "I'll take that as a 'yes'. Now I've gotta go. See you later."

"Not going to walk me up?" she said, pouting. "There could be more nasties in waiting. And I'm just a defenseless little girl."

Xander laughed brashly at her jibe then said, "I would but I don't think dorm hallways are made for seven foot tall devil's."

"Is that a subtle way of saying you can't change back right now?"

Scarlet eyes twinkled and he purred, "You caught me." As her expression turned worried, he explained, "I'll be able to turn back, don't worry, Buff. It's just that when I change my devil blood takes over and then it takes some time for it to get back down low enough that I can turn back. No biggie."

"Okay," said Buffy. "So I'll see you tomorrow for lunch with Willow?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world, Buffster," murmured Xander. He then took a step back and sprang into the air. There was a single flap of leathery wings and a flash of soulful scarlet eyes then he was gone.

Buffy smiled as his dark shape disappeared away into the night then turned and walked up the rest of the steps to her dorm.

As she disappeared into the building, three men in ski masks, dark camouflage and with sub-machine gun's slung across their backs came out of hiding. The one in the lead plucked a radio off their hip and said into it, "Command, this is Lilac. We have a hostile currently leaving campus. Permission to engage?"

The radio crackled after a moment and whoever was on the other end said, "Negative, Lilac. Permission denied. Follow and watch. I repeat: follow and watch. Over and out."

"Over and out," said the man called Lilac. He then put the radio back on his belt, glanced once at the dorm Buffy had disappeared into, then turned to the other two men. "Let's move, men."

"Yes, sir!"

A second later the three melted away into the darkness, tracking the black and red half devil that floated lazy in the night sky.


	12. Karnival

**Disclaimer:** BtVS and nothin' else mine. 'Cept the plot. Sorta. Eh… General Xander costume something else Halloween episode fic. Also note that some of the characters may sound a bit off as I haven't watched Buffy in a long while and am running off memory of what they sound like as well as fanfics. Chapter titles come from all three DMC OST's.

**Chapter 12 – Karnival**

"Holy shit! G-man!"

"What is it?" exclaimed Giles, rushing out of his kitchen, expecting to find vampires or worse in his living room. Instead he found Xander and Buffy staring at him, their fingers pointed off at a near perfect right angle. He followed their pointing and groaned when he saw the reason.

"You have a TV," gasped Buffy.

"A live one," said Xander. "I kinda expected it to have a potted plant in it or something."

The ex-Watcher sighed and asked, "Is it that astounding for me to have a television?"

"Yes!" exclaimed the pair.

"You're Giles!" gasped Buffy. "And you're…I mean…_Giles!_"

Xander laughed at that and said, "I think my companion here has said it all."

"It's not that astounding!" protested the older man.

"Sure it is. So…you gonna send that Gem Thingimawhatsit to Dead Boy?"

" 'Thingimawhatsit?' " repeated Buffy.

"Hey, I can make up words too!" defended the half devil.

"Uh-uh!"

"Uh-huh!"

"Uh-uh!"

"Uh-huh!"

"Uh-_EEP!_"

"Ha ha!" crowed Xander as he tickled the blonde Slayer. "I have you now!"

"_Giiiiiiiiileeeeeeeeeees!_ Make him stooooooooooop!"

Giles stood there for a moment then shook his head and turned to go back into the kitchen.

"_GIIIIIIIIIILEEEEEEEEES!_"

"MUAAAAAAAAAHAHA…_CRAP!_"

"HA! Who's got who now!"

"Aw, crap _CRAP! G-MAN! GETEROFF!_"

"What did I do in a previous life to deserve this?" asked Giles to the ceiling as he listened to the scuffling going on in his living room. Then he smiled a bit and murmured to himself, "Quit whining, old boy. You know you wouldn't have it any other way."

"_GILES!_"

The ex-Watcher sighed and left the kitchen with a letter in his hand, grabbed his coat and left the house. He stood outside the door for a moment then made a silent prayer that he'd have a house when he got back and headed for his Citroen.

* * *

Xander whistled as he helped Oz carry his stereo system into the frat-house that was having a Halloween party. Buffy had somehow managed to talk him into going and had also managed to convince him to go in costume despite what had happened the last time he'd done that. He had, in turn, convinced Faith into coming with them to keep him company.

"Nice set-up," he commented as he set the speaker he was carrying down and looked around the main room. "Hey, grapes!"

He snatched one and popped it in his mouth, earning a grin from one of the frat-guys.

"For the chicks," said the guy softly with a conspiratorial grin. "Blindfold 'em and have 'em reach their hands in. Then tell 'em its eyeballs."

"Nice," said Xander, even as Dante's memories made a short comment that eyeballs feel nothing like peeled grapes. He didn't even attempt to figure out how the half devil had known that particular thing.

He picked up another grape then leaned against the table as he watched Oz and the frat guys – who had tried to get him to join then stopped when informed he wasn't a student– moved the speaker system about. Then he caught the scent of blood and snapped his head around to find Oz putting his finger in his mouth.

"You alright, man?" asked the half devil.

"Fine," mumbled the werewolf around his finger.

None of them, not even Xander, noticed the symbol on the floor pulse as Oz's blood hit it or the plastic tarantula that came to life on the edge of it and skittered away.

* * *

"I feel ridiculous," muttered Buffy as she and Xander walked towards the frat-house.

"You look great," said Xander with a grin. "Not many people can pull off that outfit."

"Who was this again? The woman that works with Dante?"

"Trish. Technically she's a devil clone of his mother but that's beside the point…"

Buffy frowned then asked, "And why am I dressed like this again?"

"Because I didn't want to get stuck as someone else and just pulled out my Dante costume again. And you asked _me_ for a costume idea," replied Xander. "And chill, Buff. You look _great_. Trust me."

The blonde frowned at him over the sunglasses she was sporting to complete the costume then tugged worriedly at the leather corset top she wore. Xander just smiled and wrapped an arm about her shoulders to keep her from tugging at her costume. He then idly wondered what on earth Faith was going to show up in. That line of thought was quickly abandoned as it went into places it should not be going without permission.

"Hi, guys!" chirped Willow as she bounded up in armor with Oz tagging along lazily behind her. The werewolf hadn't changed since earlier and the only new thing he sported was a nametag that read, "My name is God."

"Nice," commented Xander. He then looked around and asked, "Slaygirl coming?"

"Said she'd be a bit late," said Buffy. "She wants to make a patrol even though Giles says vamps stay in on Halloween. I think she's hoping to prove him wrong."

"Heh. Okay then, gang's mostly here so let's go!"

"Who're the Army guys?" asked Oz, referring to the darkly camouflaged, ski masked, and armed guys wandering along the edge of the tree line.

"Beats me," replied Xander, despite the fact the he could almost swear those were real sub-machine gun's they were carrying. Then he shrugged it off and the little party entered the frat-house.

Ten minutes after entering the house, all of them knew something was wrong. And the screaming coming from upstairs wasn't the only thing that gave them that idea.

"We need to get up there," said Xander as Oz turned off the music resounding through the house.

"You go on," said Buffy. "We'll catch up later."

The half devil looked nervous at leaving them alone for a moment then nodded and ran off, slipping his hand inside his coat to make sure he still had his dagger.

Meanwhile, outside, Faith arrived at the frat-house from an unsuccessful patrol dressed in leather pants, a t-shirt for the band Slayer and a utility belt that had five stakes in its slots. She frowned at the lack of a door then looked up in time to see the bricks of the building cover a window a girl had been pounding on and screaming.

"Shit," she muttered and whipped out her cell phone, hurriedly dialing Giles's number. As she got off the phone, she placed her hands on her hips and grumbled, "Well, X-man, looks like this party you invited me to just got a bit less fun. Now I'm gonna have to save your ass."

She smiled as she mumbled, "And what a handsome ass it is…"

Inside the house, Buffy had been separated from Oz and Willow and was now walking slowly down one of the hallways. She then turned a corner and saw a hulking shadow at the end glowering at her with crimson eyes. Then she smiled and said, "Xander."

The half devil chuckled darkly and growled, "Time to die, Slayer." He then pulled a sword from a sheath on his back and started towards her.

"No," whispered Buffy, eyes wide as she watched her greatest fear – that Xander might possibly be turned against her – walk towards her. She stood staring at him for a moment then turned and did what she rarely ever did.

She fled.

A few corridors away Willow was being attacked by a swarm of lights that had multiplied from the one she'd summoned as Oz shivered in the bathroom down the same hallway and muttered, "You're not gonna change" over and over.

Upstairs, Xander heard none of this. He was busy staring at himself in a full-length mirror in shock.

Gone were the white hair, the blue eyes, the height, and the muscles. He was just human Xander again.

"Oh shit," he muttered. Then he shook his head and glared at his reflection, saying, "No way. You're just an illusion, just a vision of the past. No…you're what I'm afraid of. That I'm gonna lose these powers and go back to being the Zeppo."

He then grinned ferally and said, "But I ain't. So go find somebody else to scare, 'cause you ain't scarin' me."

The old Xander stared back at him for another moment then grimaced and vanished, leaving him to look at his real reflection. Xander smiled and ran a hand back through his white hair to make sure the reflection was real – which it was.

"Okay," he said after he found the stairs to the top floor, which had been bricked shut. "Guess we'll have to get upstairs the hard way."

Out front, meanwhile, Giles had arrived in his Citroen and climbed out to greet Faith. The ex-Watcher took one look at the closed up house then smiled Ripperishly and reached back into his car. He pulled back out with a chainsaw and the very image made the dark Slayer blink.

She then grinned and said, "Hey, you're okay, G-man."

"Don't steal Xander's monikers," admonished Giles. He then cranked the chainsaw to life and grinned. "Now let's go in."

After much door creating via chainsaw and the Scooby Gang getting over their fears that the house had played on, they all arrived upstairs. Where they found Xander in his devil form sitting on the floor next to a hole that had been the symbol and tossing something small and screaming back and forth between his taloned hands.

"Hi, guys," he chirped as they stared at him. "Say, G-man, can you read the caption under the picture of our friend here? I'm fairly certain I know what it says but I want a second opinion. Page 237."

He tossed the book to the ex-Watcher, who read the caption then lifted his eyes to stare at the small figure being tossed back and forth between the half devil's hands. A moment later he burst out laughing, causing the Scooby Gang to stare at him.

"What is it?" asked Buffy, looking in confusion between her ex-Watcher and boyfriend.

Xander grinned in response and dangled the fear demon Gachnar by one of its legs whilst it hung in a dazed state. Then he looked at the Scoobies and asked, "Anybody wanna play hackisack?" 


	13. Psycho Siren

**Disclaimer:** BtVS and nothin' else mine. 'Cept the plot. Sorta. Eh… General Xander costume something else Halloween episode fic. Also note that some of the characters may sound a bit off as I haven't watched Buffy in a long while and am running off memory of what they sound like as well as fanfics. Chapter titles come from all three DMC OST's. 

**Chapter 13 – Psycho Siren**

"Back off, bitch," growled Xander as he pushed Willow behind him. Across the lab, Veruca the Werewolf smirked and shook her head slowly.

"Uh-uh, big guy. I kill her and I can have Daniel all to myself."

"_NO!_" shouted Willow. "I'll kill you before I let you take Oz!"

"C'mon then, witch!" snarled Veruca.

The redhead tried to shove past Xander but the half devil grabbed her and knocked her unconscious by pressing his fingers to one of her pressure points. She collapsed in his arms and he lowered her gently to the floor behind him then turned burning eyes on the werewolf.

"You hurt one of my girls," he growled, a ring of scarlet appearing on the outer edge of his iris then slowly taking over completely. "And you hurt my friend. You'll pay for that."

"What _are_ you?" gasped Veruca seconds before her change kicked in.

"Somebody you shouldn't have pissed off."

"Willow!" shouted Oz as he kicked the door of the lab in then collapsed as his own transformation took over. He saw her lying on the floor in one of the corner's and thought she was dead for a minute then sagged with relief when he saw her chest rise and fall. Then the wolf took over completely, only to be tackled and knocked unconscious by both Buffy and Faith seconds later.

The two Slayers then looked on the other side of the lab and saw the massive black and red armored devil that was Xander and a tawny werewolf locked in a harsh battle. Faith nearly sprang forward to help as she saw blood gushing from the person she considered her only real friend – and was the first man she'd really liked for the first time in a while – but was stopped by Buffy, who motioned at the unconscious Willow. The two girl's exchanged glances then rushed in and dragged the young Wicca out into the hallway.

When a pained roar came from inside the lab, they rushed back in time to see Xander rip Veruca's jaws from their hold on his neck. The half devil roared again in pain then hurled the werewolf across the lab in his fury before falling to his knees. A new window was swiftly put into the wall on that side and Faith hurried through it to see if the she-wolf was still alive.

Buffy, on the other hand, rushed over to her friend and grasped his face in her hands, lifting it so she could look into pained scarlet eyes.

"Oh God, Xander, are you alright?"

"Fine," growled out the half devil. He then winced and grumbled, "Don't worry about the wolf curse. Devil blood'll take care of it."

"What?"

"Y'can't turn a devil or a demon into something else. Got something in us that just keeps that from happenin'. Oh shit…" Xander fell forward then, catching himself from falling completely by digging one taloned hand into the floor and hugging Buffy's waist with his other arm. He then looked up at her and mumbled, "Still hurts like hell though."

"I'm just glad you'll still be my Xan," whispered Buffy. She then eased him back up into a kneeling position and pulled his arms about her, saying, "Hang on to me. I won't let you fall."

The half devil smiled wearily then closed his eyes and leaned his head against her chest. She ran her fingers briefly through his spiked white hair then turned to look at Faith as the other Slayer came back into the lab.

"She's dead," said the other Chosen One as they caught eyes.

"Can't say I'm sorry."

"Me neither, B. Bitch tried to off Red. Though I don't think she deserved to die."

"Maybe not," said Buffy, looking down at the now unconscious half devil that leaned against her. She was shocked to find he wasn't really that heavy…but then again she _was_ a Slayer. "But she still did."

"Yeah. We'd better call G and move these guys quick. Campus police no doubt heard all this and'll be comin' to take a look."

"You have your cell? I forgot mine in my room."

"Now, B, how could you forget something like that?" quipped Faith as she whipped out her cell phone and dialed Giles's number. "Hey, G! Look, we gotta problem. No, Red's okay. Yeah, Wolfie's fine too and the She-Bitch's dead. But X is out like a light and in D form…and it don't help that he threw the bitch through a wall. So we could have campus pol… Ten minutes? Gotcha."

"His car can move that fast?" said Buffy with surprise in her voice.

The dark Slayer shrugged as she put her phone back up then replied, "Guess so. Y'think we can haul X outside and hide him under a bush? G said he'd meet us on the side nearest where he's coming from."

"That's across campus."

"Eh, we can do it. C'mon, then, sis. Let's get to it!"

Just over fifteen minutes later, a seven-foot tall devil, two petite Slayers, an unconscious witch and a werewolf were all crammed in Giles' beat up old Citroen and puttering off towards his apartment. Once there, Oz was chained and put in the bathtub by the Slayer's while Giles tugged his couch out into a bed. Then the three went back out to the car and the girls hauled the still unconscious and bleeding Xander into the house while the ex-Watcher kept an eye on the neighbors then followed them in with Willow.

None of them noticed one of the camouflaged men watching them from a perch in a nearby tree. He then pulled out a radio and said, "Hostile 13 is down. I repeat, Hostile 13 is down. Request back-up to take him in."

"Request granted. Back up is coming to your location. Over," crackled the radio in response.

Inside Giles' apartment, the girls carefully laid Xander out on the couch-bed, making sure they didn't accidentally break one of his wings. Buffy then climbed onto the bed to settle beside him and turned to ask Faith to go get her something to clean his wounds with but found Giles pressing a cloth and bowl of water into her hands. Smiling to show her thanks, she then turned and began to wash her friend's wounds, wondering to herself why they hadn't healed yet or why he didn't change back whilst unconscious. Faith joined her a few moments later with a strained look on her face, further proving Buffy's idea that her sister Slayer was falling hard for the half devil.

As she and Faith finished binding his still unhealed wounds a half-hour later, the apartment windows shattered, allowing the entrance of several camouflaged and heavily armed men. Both Slayers leapt up to defend the unconscious half devil and managed to take twelve of the men down before the tranquilizer darts they were being shot with downed them.

Giles burst from the kitchen with a crossbow at the ready and Ripper flashing in his eyes but paused when he saw humans facing him. His pause allowed one of the men to hit him with a tranquilizer dart and he went down just as he realized what they had come for.

"Xander," he breathed before he hit the ground in an unconscious heap, one hand stretched out towards the half devil as if in a last attempt to rescue the young man he considered a surrogate son.

"Sir, there's another hostile in the bathroom."

"Take it," said the apparent leader of the group. "Anything else in the house?"

"Just another teenager, sir."

"Alright. Rose, Wolf, make sure nobody sees us."

"Yes, sir!" said two of the men, snapping salute's before rushing outside.

"Let's get these hostiles and our men back to base. MOVE, SOLDIERS!"

* * *

"Shit," muttered Xander as he slowly came back to consciousness. He then carefully sat up, mainly because he still felt himself in his devil form and he didn't want to tear his wings. 

White, endless white, pummeled his eyes as he opened them and he held up a taloned hand to shield his eyes from it in reflex. Blinking slowly several times, he then lowered his hand and stared at the sheer white room he was in.

No, he slowly amended. Cage. It was a cage. It had a clear front kinda like the one they'd stuck Hannibal Lecter behind in the movie adaptation of _The Silence of the Lambs_ but it was still a cage.

"This does not look good," he said softly, eyes darting around. He then looked down to check on his injuries and found them to all be bandaged. Buffy and Faith's scent, faint but there, wafted to his nose from them and he frowned.

If the bozo's that had him had hurt his girls…well, they'd better be hoping the coroner could find enough pieces of them to have a decent funeral.

Snarling angrily, he ripped off the bandages, finding his body whole and hale underneath them. Obviously his devil blood had dealt with the werewolf disease whilst he'd been unconscious and then had taken to its usual task of healing him. Not at all comforted by the fact that he was in one piece once more, he heaved himself to his feet, wincing when his head hit the ceiling.

"Ow! God damnit, what the fuck is with this place!"

"Droopy?" came an inquiry from the cages across from him suddenly. Xander frowned and looked across the hall curiously, knowing he knew that British accent…

"Peroxide!"

Spike smirked and said, "Yeah, me. So what's with the look?"

"Ever heard of devil's?"

The blonde vampire paled severely and swallowed hard.

"Yeah, I heard of 'em. Got chased for coupl'a weeks in Chicago by some half devil Slayer wannabe."

Xander's ears, which were rather pointed and elfin in his devil state, twitched at that and he snarled, "What was his name?"

"Why do you wanna…"

"_THE NAME, SPIKE!_" bellowed the half devil, eyes burning into the vampire's.

"Okay, okay. Dante somethin'. Big fuckin' sword and some nice lookin' Desert Eagle's. Wouldn't have minded snatchin' that coat off him, either."

Xander just blinked and shook his head in wonder. Dante was actually _real_? He existed? And was in Chicago, unless he'd moved his business, which Xander figured he hadn't.

_Wonder if he remembers Halloween or if the spell just pulled a part of him for it instead of all of him. Shit, can't be thinking about this now. Gotta figure out how to get out of here and get back to the girls and Giles._

Frowning, he stalked forward and reached out to touch the glass pane that closed in his cage.

Spike twitched a bit in his cage then commented, "Wouldn't touch that if I were you, mate."

"I ain't your mate," sneered Xander before poking the pane with one taloned finger. A jolt of electricity zapped him but he just smirked and laughed. From what he knew from Dante's memories, the devil sword Alastor had zapped him worse than that on _low_ power.

Grinning, ferally, the half devil pressed his entire hand against the pane, his laughter rising with every jolt of electricity.

From across the way, he could hear Spike cursing but chose to ignore it.

Scarlet eyes flashing, he pressed his other hand against the pane, sending more electricity shooting through his body. Nerves fried and his armor began to smoke but he ignored it much like he ignored the alarm he could dimly hear going off.

Slowly, he moved his hands along the pane until they touched each other and readied himself. A single spark was all the warning he got and then a small explosion sent him flying backwards. He spun in the small space the cage provided and bounced off the back wall, crashing through the now de-electrified glass pane.

"Bloody hell," he heard Spike breathe from his left as he slowly got to his feet. Shaking his head, he glanced at his vague reflection in the glass pane that closed off Spike's cage. He slowly watched as his devil blood healed the flesh the electricity had burnt then twitched as it did the same with the nerves that had been fried. The last thing it did was fix the ends of his hair, which had turned black and were smoking.

"Mind giving a vamp a hand?" asked Spike suddenly.

Xander whipped his head towards the blonde and sneered, "Why should I help you, Peroxide? You've tried to kill Buffy more times than I can count."

"I'll never do it again." The vampire frowned then flashed two fingers, saying, "Scout's honor."

The half devil just snorted then spun and dodged a spray of bullets. He crouched, wings flared slightly, and glowered at the men in camouflage and light battle armor at the end of the hall.

Then he blinked and looked twice to make sure he was seeing the right face.

"Riley?" he breathed, staring at Maggie Walsh's assistant. "What the…"

"Hostile 13 is out!" snapped one of the men into a radio. "Shut down the base! I repeat, Hostile 13 is out, shut down the base!"

Xander's confused expression vanished then and an angry one replaced it. He growled deep in his throat, eliciting a shocked look from Spike, and spat to the men, "I don't know who you are or what the hell you're doing capturing vamps and demons but trust me, you do _not_ want to piss me off."

"I'd listen to him!" shouted Spike, hoping that maybe if he helped, he might get a ticket out of the place.

There was a momentary pause from the men then one shouted, "Open fire!"

Xander snarled at this and leapt towards the men, opening his wings as much as he dared in the enclosed space. He was five feet from them before they realized what was going on and was in their midst before they could call for backup.

Ripping guns from hands, he lashed viciously out with his taloned hands, striking the men down. Anyone who saw the fight from a distance would think he was slaughtering them. But as they were only men and doing their job, he was only striking them in places that would disarm them.

As he whirled around to find Riley pointing a tactical shotgun point blank at his chest, Xander frowned then lashed out, crumpling the gun's barrel. He then ripped his claws across the other man's chest and kicked him back into the wall. Silently, he hoped Buffy wouldn't figure out it was him that had injured the guy she'd had a crush on since the beginning of college. If she did, he was definitely getting a beating later.

When all of the men were down for the count, the half devil collected their guns and destroyed them by bending all of them out of shape then stalked down the cage hallway back to Spike. Glowering at the vampire for a moment, he then punched the panel that controlled the door.

"Why?" asked the vampire better known as William the Bloody as he stepped out of his cage and looked up into the scarlet eyes.

"I'm annoyed," came Xander's short reply. "And your neighbor told you where the exit was."

"How'd you know that?"

"I was partially conscious for a while. Caught the part of the conversation where he started to tell you but lost the rest."

Spike frowned then asked, "And what makes you think I'll lead you there?"

A taloned thumb jabbed back over an armored shoulder and Xander arched an eyebrow as he asked, "You wanna end up like those bozo's?"

The blonde vampire looked over at the downed men then frowned again before shrugging.

"Alright, Droopy. But you owe me for this."

"Don't push it, Peroxide."

At the growl in the half devil's voice, Spike choked down a quaver of fear then turned and began to lead him out of the underground base. But just before they got out of the cages, Xander came to a complete halt and opened one cage, rushing inside.

"Bloody hell! We 'aven't got the time for this!"

"I'll tell you what we've got the fucking time for, Peroxide," growled Xander as he came back out of the cage with an unconscious werewolf – Oz, of course – in his arms. "Now move."

"Who's the wolf?"

"_MOVE IT, VAMPIRE!_"

* * *

"Who the hell were those gate crashers?" asked Faith as she plucked another empty tranquilizer dart out of her side. 

"Dunno," replied Buffy, rubbing her neck where a dart had embedded itself. "You okay?"

"Five by five, B. It's X, I'm worried about. And Wolfie. Hell knows what them bad boys might do to them."

"Hopefully nothing," said Giles as he came back downstairs from checking on Willow, who was still unconscious.

"But what if they…" began Buffy.

Giles cut her off by lifting one hand and said, "Don't think of maybes, Buffy. That gets us nowhere and only makes us worry more."

The blonde Slayer nodded then closed her eyes, trying to quench the worry she felt for her two friends. When she had thought of Xander not being there it had hurt, not just because he'd been there for her ever since she'd arrived in Sunnydale but because he'd managed to weasel his way further into her heart than anyone ever had beside her parents. Not even Angel had managed to get as far as Xander had.

And she'd loved Angel more than anyone.

Arms came around her from behind then and she stiffened for a moment before sinking back into her sister Slayer's embrace.

"He'll be fine, you'll see," whispered Faith's voice into her ear. "And he'll show up fine 'n dandy and'll tell yah you were silly to worry."

"You think so?"

"Know so, B."

Surprisingly the words soothed the blonde's nerves and Giles smiled gratefully at the other Slayer. The dark-haired girl just grinned back and waved a hand meekly as though to say it was no problem. Helping Buffy calm down was calming her own worried nerves.

Then…

"Hallo? Werewolf delivery service?"

"Xander!" exclaimed Buffy, jerking in Faith's arms. She hurriedly extricated herself from her sister's embrace and rushed to the door, flinging it open and nearly collapsing in relief at whom she saw on the other side.

Xander stood there, in human form, with an unconscious werewolf thrown casually over one shoulder and his trademark goofy grin on his face.

The blonde rushed forward and pressed herself into his side, hugging him for all she was worth – which would have cracked his ribs if he'd been human. Xander just smiled and gave her a one-armed hug until Faith moved forward and took the werewolf from him (giving him a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek in the process). Blushing a bit at the dark Slayer's attentions, he then moved into the apartment with Buffy right behind him and sank down onto the couch-bed.

"Xander?"

Blue eyes lifted and met hazel.

"What happened?" asked Giles gently.

"Guys took me, caged me in a high-tech electric fence, I broke out, beat them up then grabbed Wolfman and ran back as fast as I could."

"Do you know who they were?"

"Peroxide called them The Initiative."

"Spike?" queried Buffy.

"Yeah," said Xander. "These guys captured him too. Along with a bunch of other vampires and demons. Oh, he's out by the way."

"What?" exclaimed Giles, nearly dropping his glasses as he cleaned them. "How did that happen if these people have as much security as you say?"

"Er…I kinda let him out."

"WHAT!"

"Hey, he knew the way out of the place! Besides he's harmless."

"How do yah know, X?" asked Faith as she returned from chaining Oz in the tub again. Her stormy gaze caught Xander's and his stomach did flip-flops in response. Another part of him reacted as well and he hurriedly ripped his gaze from hers so he could think clearly.

He frowned for a moment then replied, "'Cause I followed him before I came here. I thought I smelt something odd about him and I was right. They apparently did something to him that makes him unable to attack humans in any form or fashion."

"So he can't feed?"

"Exactamundo, Buff. No more fresh blood for ole' Peroxide." He nearly told them about Dante but decided against it. Spike might have been lying to him or mistaken and he wanted to find out if the half devil really existed before he said anything. "And we're gonna have to watch out for these Initiative guys. I think they're on the campus."

Giles frowned and asked, "What makes you say that?"

Xander was silent for a full minute before he looked down at Buffy and replied, "Riley was with them."

"What?" exclaimed the Slayer, her eyes flashing with pain and betrayal. "No, he can't!"

"He was, Buff. I saw him. Hell, I _smelt_ him."

Buffy frowned at that then shook her head, muttering about how she couldn't believe it. Then she shook herself and hugged him, saying, "I'm just glad your okay, Xan."

"And I'm glad you're all okay." He then looked up at Faith, his stomach flip-flopping again, and asked, "Right, Slaygirl?"

"Everything's five by five, X," replied the Slayer with a sultry smile that made his thoughts drift towards images of her, him, and bed sheets. Swallowing hard, he shook his head briefly to clear it.

"Good. How's Wills?"

"Ain't woken up y…"

"What's going on?" came Willow's voice from the stairwell.

"Nevermind," amended Faith.

"Xander?"

The half devil turned and smiled at his oldest friend then frowned when he noticed the tears streaming down her cheeks. He felt Buffy pull away from him and he turned towards his friend, holding one arm out towards her.

Willow stood there for a moment then ran into his embrace and clung to him like he was a life preserver. She began to sob hysterically the moment she was there and he pulled her into his lap and hugged her tightly, running his fingers through her hair and whispering something to her that none of the others could her. Not even Buffy, who was sitting right beside them with worry in her eyes.

"H-h-he," Willow began to stammer only to be cut off by two of Xander's fingers. Brown eyes met blue and he whispered, "He never meant to hurt you. You know that. And he still loves you, else he wouldn't have come to save you. I know he'd have _killed_ her for you, Wills, if I hadn't done it."

"Y-you k-k-killed h-her?"

"Yeah."

Willow looked at him for a long moment then sniffed and hugged him with a mumbled 'thank you.' Xander just shook his head and softly said, "Nobody hurts one of my girls. Especially not some oversexed she-wolf lookin' to steal my bestest bud's boyfriend."

Giles coughed to hide a smile at that while Faith burst out into a full-belly laugh, dark eyes glittering. Beside him, Buffy just shook her head and whispered, "You're okay with killing her?"

Blue eyes turned to meet hers and Xander frowned before replying, "No. But she was trying to hurt Wills. And I won't ever let anything happen to my girls if I can prevent it."

"You're one of a kind, you know that?"

Xander chuckled and murmured, "You betcha." Then he turned back to his best friend and began to try and fix what he could. But he knew that only a long talk between her and Oz could possibly fix everything.

And he also knew that he had to try, despite this fact.

He had to.

**Author's Notes**

The Devil Never Cry got stuck in Chicago because of a book series I read called The Dresden Files (by Jim Butcher). I recommend it to anyone that like's a good mixing of fantasy, some mystery, and a nice chunk of sarcastic wit.

Also, a scene in Titan A. E. inspired the thing with Xander and the electricity on the cage in the Initiative.


	14. Lock and Load

**Disclaimer: **BtVS and nothin' else mine. 'Cept the plot. Sorta. Eh… General Xander costume something else Halloween episode fic. Also note that some of the characters may sound a bit off as I haven't watched Buffy in a long while and am running off memory of what they sound like as well as fanfics. Chapter titles come from all three DMC OST's.

**Chapter 14 – Lock and Load**

"First the whole Indian thing, then the Gentlemen – not to mention those Vahrall demons that wanted to end the world – the Initiative then decided to get buddy-buddy with Buff after Commando Boy saw her fight, and then God-fuckin'-Ethan Rayne came back to town and turned G-man into a demon! What the hell could happen next!"

Xander sighed as only the silence of his apartment answered him and mumbled, "Well, at least Wills and Oz are still together. Sign of a true relationship when you can go through somethin' like that and still stay together."

Abruptly there was the sound of something hitting the concrete outside his front door and he leapt up off the couch. Grabbing a dagger and hiding it behind his back, he went and opened the door…to find a UPS guy standing there with a long cardboard box at his feet.

The guy turned and blinked then looked down at his clipboard and up again.

"Um…Mister Alexander Harris?"

"That's me," said Xander, frowning at the man. He smelled human but what he was delivering could be something from a demon. "What's the package?"

"Dunno," came the reply. He then lifted a page on his clipboard and said, "Came down from Chicago though. From some small business there. Devil something."

_Hooooo-ly shit._

"Anything I need to sign?" asked the half devil, his eyes on the long package at his feet.

The guy looked at his clipboard again, flipping papers for a minute before he nodded and held it out. Xander took it and signed without looking then leaned down and picked up the box.

"Thanks," he mumbled before backing into his apartment and closing the door. He quickly carried the box over to the coffee table between the couch and TV stand and dropped it. Whatever was in the box gave a little rattle and the wooden coffee table groaned a bit from its weight.

Frowning, Xander dropped onto the couch and opened the box using the dagger he'd grabbed up earlier. On top of a plastic bubble wrap sheet lay a folded letter, which he picked up first despite his curiosity of what was inside the box. Unfolding it, he slowly began to read.

_Hey, Kid,_

_This is probably going to sound a little crazy but this is Dante. Y'know, the guy who's costume you wore two Halloween's ago and got turned into. It may be a bit hard to believe I exist…but then again since that town of yours seems to be overrun with fuckin' vamps and demons, it probably isn't that hard to believe. Though hell only knows how some video game company in Japan got a hold of my history and decided to make a game of it._

_If you're wondering what this is all about, I've been trying to track you down since that Halloween. I've been going crazy since then. See, when the spell or whatever ended and I got pulled out, a part of me went back into you, I think. And it seems that since a piece of me went into you, a little bit of you also hitched a ride back to my body._

_I really hope you moved out of that hellhole your parents dared called a home since Halloween. If you haven't, I'm coming to that little town of yours and giving them a piece of my fuckin' mind. Nobody's got the right to treat their kid like they treated you._

_I figure you know your hometown is sitting on a mouth to Hell (what kinda bad luck do you have to grow up in place like that?) but as you've got a Slayer there, 'spose I shouldn't be too worried about you surviving. And I also figure you're fine too as I got a call a'coupla months ago from the demon Anyanka – or _ex-demon_ Anyanka, I should say –, who was demanding to know what the hell I was doing in a Californian high school. Which means that you got enough of me to change you're whole self into…me. Don't worry about me having turned into you, though. I think since I was the…guess you could call it donor…all I got on the backslide were your memories._

_If there's a more fucked up situation out there than ours, I'd love somebody to show it to me._

_I'd come down and help you, Kid, but it turns out there's a Hellmouth here in the Gold Coast district of Chicago and we haven't got a Slayer here to help us out. If you ever figure out a way to shut these things down, give me a ring sometime (number's at the bottom). Trish is pissed as hell after finding out about that thing and is demanding I figure out how to shut it off._

_But since I can't come help you in person, I decided to send a few old weapons to help you out. Don't worry about anybody coming after you for the transport. I know an old witch here in the big city that has a really nice concealment spell. Far as the UPS bastards'll know there's a box of books being shipped down there. Oh, and permits for the guns are in the bottom. The sword…well, you'll just have to explain that one on your own._

_The sword's called Force Edge and you'd better take damn good care of it. It was a memento of my father – guess you could call him that too since you're kinda me. Goddamn that's weird… Probably weirder for you though. Anyway, there's also two guns in there, coupl'a custom jobs Trish ordered for me in an attempt to get me to update my stuff. Since I like my current buds, I figured I'd send 'em to you. Just be careful though, Desert Eagle's have a hell of a kick, even for somebody as strong as a devil or a Slayer. And for God's sake don't give one to a human; it'd kill 'em with all the stuff custom built into 'em._

_Note on the guns: they work fine for killing vamps. Just channel a little bit of devil energy into them and bam! – nice little pile of dust. Oh, and when you get them out, take a look at the runes on the side. Heheh. Devil runes can actually be good for a few things. Those carved on the side won't ever fade away and will keep your guns from ever running out of bullets. Great for when you have no time to reload in a fight with a nasty spider devil made out of lava and rock. Or whatever._

_I also threw in one of my old coats and holsters for the guns and sword. Nice guy, ain't I?_

_Besides that, I've got one more thing to say. Keep in touch. Maybe not a letter every month but still, write me. Hell, call me every once in a while if you'd rather not write. Just keep in touch, Kid. Oh, and tell Red I said 'hi.'_

_Good luck,_

_Dante_

A phone number was scrawled underneath the signature as well as the address for the Devil Never Cry. Then Xander noticed a postscript underneath those and read it.

_Oh, yeah, and check the bottom of the grips on the guns for their names. I dug around in your memory (since you're likely diggin' in mine, it seems fair enough) and found somethin' to inspire me on how to name 'em as I couldn't think of anything. You can tell me your opinion on 'em later._

Frowning, he set the letter inside then reached into the box, folding back the bubble wrap to find a folded leather trenchcoat dyed a rich dark red. Grinning widely, he pulled it out and unfolded it. The thick material unrolled like liquid and he hurriedly stood up, slipping it on.

"Damn," he said after a moment as the jacket fit nearly perfectly. Then he sank back down onto the couch and reached back into the box to pull out the holsters Dante had mentioned. After that he just stared down into the box.

Sitting in a Styrofoam tray that took up the whole of the box were two very scary looking guns. Twin black Desert Eagle's in pristine condition lay starkly against the white packaging.

Slowly, he reached in and picked one up, testing its feel and weight it his hand. He checked the side like Dante had said and ran his finger over the runes etched into the barrel. Then he checked to make sure the safety was on before turning the gun so he could read whatever name the half devil had put on the bottom of the grips.

After blinking twice and looking perturbed, he then burst out laughing. He then picked up the other gun and checked it, shaking his head when he saw that Dante had done just what he'd thought he had.

"Very funny," he muttered good-naturedly as he laid the newly dubbed Shenzi and Bonzai on the couch beside him. Then he lifted up the Styrofoam tray slightly and reached underneath it to pluck Force Edge from it's own tray.

Carefully standing up, he looked at the sword for a long moment, taking in the look of it. The guard looked like a demonic 'w' and was silver with gold designs inlaid into it. From the guard at one end came the blade, which was two inches longer than his entire arm from where it started to the finely honed tip. The two handed grip stretched out from the other end of the guard and spiraled it's way down to the pommel, which was made of four combined skulls with a short spike rising from the center of them.

After looking at the sword for a moment longer, he then abruptly leapt into the fighting stance's Giles had taught him nearly two years ago. He moved through them like lightning then grinned goofily down at the sword as he finished. The sword was a bit bigger than those he'd practiced with so he'd have to do some improvisation on the moves but that wouldn't be a problem.

Buffy and the rest of the gang probably wouldn't take much of a liking to him using the guns but he'd been itching for some forever. From what he knew of Dante, the man wasn't fond of medieval weaponry and preferred to have something from the current century to back him up if he met a devil he couldn't hack to bits. And since his possession, Xander had been of that opinion too. Well, before that too, but that was beside the point.

Glancing at the clock, he quickly went to change into something tougher than sweatpants and a muscle shirt. He was patrolling with Buffy and Faith tonight.

And he was going to see how well his new toys worked if he got half the chance.

Smirking, he came back out into the living room wearing dark camouflaged pants, a black t-shirt and his combat boots. He picked up the gun belt first and looked at it for a moment before he slipped it on and looped the smaller belts attached to the holsters about his thighs. A bit surprised at how comfortable that was, he then put the two Desert Eagle's in and tried drawing them. Then he took the belt off and switched the holsters about so the grips of the guns were facing outwards instead of in.

Shrugging into the leather coat, he then tugged the sword holster on. It was rather like a backpack as two straps of black leather looped over his shoulder and came back out under his arms, attaching to a thicker strap that spanned his back. The sheath for Force Edge was attached to this strap and he drew the sword a couple of times, shifting his shoulders a bit until he found the best position.

Force Edge's hilt sticking over his left shoulder, Shenzi and Bonzai resting contentedly on his hips and a kid-in-a-candy-store expression on his face, Xander turned off the lights in his apartment. Then he locked the door, stuffed his keys and a bottle of holy water in the pockets of his new coat and headed out for patrol.

* * *

"She tried to do _what!_"

"Kill me," repeated Buffy, now wishing she hadn't told her overly protective surrogate brother about Walsh's failed attempt. His iris' now had a ring of scarlet about them and his hands were resting on the grips of the two Desert Eagle's strapped to his hips. She had originally thought that someone was playing an elaborate prank on him, claiming Dante was real. But after Giles had confirmed that there was a Hellmouth in the Gold Coast district of Chicago, she was starting to come around to the idea.

"I'll kill her," growled the half devil, his hand clenching convulsively on Shenzi. "I will _so_ fuckin' kill her. Wait, she's human, isn't she? And not technically evil. _Damnit!_"

Buffy laid a gentle hand on his arm and said, "We have to be calm about this, Xan. I think I was getting close to something she didn't want me to."

"That much, Buff, is obvious."

A growl then erupted from Xander's throat and he reached out to grab Force Edge from its spot against the wall as Riley entered Giles' apartment, only stopped from grabbing the sword by Buffy's hand catching his. The commando came to a complete stop at the growl and took a step back as he saw scarlet eyes glowering at him over Buffy's head.

"Um…"

Xander took a step forward but was stopped from moving on when Buffy put her other hand on his chest. He looked down at her and growled again as she shook her head back and forth. A small glaring contest proceeded then and the half devil backed grumpily down.

But he still glared Death in Riley's direction.

"What's going on?" asked the commando carefully. He then spotted Spike coming out of the kitchen and exclaimed, "Hostile 17!"

"Army Boy!" chirped the blonde vampire back as he sipped blood from a mug with Snoopy on it. He then moved past the dumbstruck commando and sank down onto the couch by Faith, who glared daggers at him. Which he happily ignored and turned on the television.

"Again, what's going on?" asked Riley.

"I don't think we should tell him anything," growled Xander. "His boss tried to have you killed, Buff."

"He wasn't a part of that, Xan," said the Slayer. She then sighed and gave her friend an exasperated look. "I know you want to protect me, but you don't have to. I'm the Slayer, after all."

"I know. But knowing that doesn't make the want go away. Or the fear that you'll run into one demon too many and won't make it back."

"I feel the same thing every time you or anyone else go on patrol," she said. Then she looked at Riley and said, "Professor Walsh tried to have me killed last night."

Riley nodded slightly and said, "Yeah, I heard that from Xander."

"But you don't believe it."

"I don't believe she'd have any reason to kill you!"

"314."

"What?" said Riley, looking confused.

Buffy frowned and replied, "Whatever 314 is, that's what she didn't want me to find out about."

The commando stood there for a moment then said, "I'll try and find out what I can. You guys had better take to hiding. She might try again or send the whole Initiative after you."

"Oh, we'll be careful," said Faith with a cold smile. "You just keep your army pals from stealing away any of ours again."

Riley looked confused at this while Buffy and Xander both glared at Faith.

"Um…what?"

"You captured a werewolf who is a friend," explained Xander. He then coughed a little and added, "And another rather…demonic…friend."

"Hostile 13."

"Yeah. Whatever."

Buffy cast a nervous glance at her friend, who was glaring Death again, then turned back to Riley. She turned him around and pushed him towards the door, suggesting silently that he leave. The commando took the suggestion and left, casting one nervous glance back at all them before he left.

"Now what?" asked Faith, turning around so she could lean on the back of the couch. She then promptly hit Spike in the back of the head with her elbow as he looked at her ass.

"BLOODY HELL!"

"Don't oogle my ass, Peroxide," she snapped. "So, where we movin'?"

"They probably don't know where my apartment is," said Xander. "As long as you guys don't mind sleeping on the floor."

"Do I get to come too?" asked Spike.

"Hell no."

"Bloody poofer."

Xander made an obscene hand gesture at the vampire's back then grabbed his coat and Force Edge, putting them back on. He then looked at Buffy and said, "If you're going to move, we need to do it now. If they send anyone else after you, they'll wait till dark most likely."

The blonde Slayer nodded then looked at Faith, asking, "Can you go get Willow and Oz?"

"Sure thing, B. See you at your place, X."

"Nah, I'll come with you, Slaygirl. You 'n me, we need to talk."

He then looked down at Buffy and asked, "Be at my place at four, 'kay?"

"I'll go pack some stuff," she replied.

Giles came out of the kitchen then and wiped off his glasses. Then he said, "I suppose I'm to come as well?"

Xander grinned and replied, "Of course, G-man." Then he swept out of the apartment, a blushing Faith being pushed out in front of him. Buffy shook her head then followed them out moment's later after saying goodbye to Giles, leaving the ex-Watcher and vampire alone.

Spike sat silent on the couch for a minute before he turned and started to ask, "Can I sta…"

"_No_," snapped Giles in a Ripperish tone.

"But…"

"Get out."

The blonde vampire frowned then drained his mug before standing and walking towards the ex-Watcher. He tossed the mug at him as he passed and muttered, "Poofer," before throwing a blanket over his head.

As the door slammed shut behind the vampire, Giles sighed and looked down at the mug, which still had some blood in the bottom of it. He frowned for a moment then muttered, "Bloody vampires."

**Author's Notes**

The names for the guns were inspired by DhampyrX2's story _Family Matters_. It's a BtVS/Hellsing/Castlevania crossover and is really good. Go read it if you get a chance.

And if you don't know where the names came from or what's so funny about them, here are two hints: The Lion King and The Pack episode from Season 1.

Description of Force Edge (which I do believe was Dante's original sword in DMC1 if I'm recalling the weapons screen correctly) comes from the sword my Dante action figure came with. 


	15. Seeds of Love

**Disclaimer:** BtVS and nothin' else mine. 'Cept the plot. Sorta. Eh… General Xander costume something else Halloween episode fic. Also note that some of the characters may sound a bit off as I haven't watched Buffy in a long while and am running off memory of what they sound like as well as fanfics. Chapter titles come from all three DMC OST's.

**Chapter 15 – Seeds of Love**

Faith threw one of her shirts into her bag and repeated, "There's no danger anymore, remember, X-man? Professor dead?"

"But Adam is still out there," said Xander from where he leaned on the doorframe separating the kitchen and the living room in his apartment. "Y'know, big rather scary looking guy that makes a Picasso look sane? Also nearly killed you and Buffy when you snuck into the Initiative to try and find out what was bothering Army Boy?"

"I'm fine," insisted Faith with a vigor she didn't feel. She then turned to face him and smiled as she spread her arms. "See? All my sexy body parts are here and accounted for."

The half devil sighed and walked across the space between them, stopping inches away from her. Then he laid his hands on her waist and pulled her into a hug, surprising her.

"Please stay," he said softly, glad the others had moved out earlier so he didn't have an audience. "I want you where I can keep you safe."

"X…"

"Faith, please."

The dark Slayer frowned then said, "X-man, I can't stay here. This is your place. I've got my place…"

"A crummy little motel in the bad part of town is no place for you to be staying. I said that days ago and I stand by it still."

Stormy eyes flashed and she tried to shove him away, growling, "What the fuck do you know?"

"Faith."

She ceased her shoving and looked up into his eyes, her stomach doing flip-flops involuntarily. He sighed and reached out one hand up to touch her cheek, shaking his head slightly.

"I know that you've been hurt before," he whispered. "I could smell your pain and fear from the time you first got in town. And I know you've got feelings for me besides friendship. So do I."

"I don't need anything or anybody," growled Faith, a bit of her darker self showing through. But only because she forced it. Xander, if she was reading him right, was offering her a real solid place to stay and belong. And it scared her.

"You know that's not true."

"Fuck, it ain't!"

"Faith," said Xander sternly. "Look me in the eyes and tell me that." When she ducked her head slightly, he nodded and continued, "You can't. Please, Faith…Slaygirl. Stay."

The dark Slayer frowned, chewing on her lip for a moment. She could sense that he really wanted her to stay – and that he really cared about her. The knowledge of this sent fear and warmth spreading through her at the same time.

She'd hadn't been cared for since her first Watcher. And look at what'd happened to her.

"X-man, I…"

Abruptly his lips pressed against hers and she found herself kissing him back. Then she shoved him away from her and snarled, "I ain't gonna be a notch on a bedpost!"

Pain filled his blue eyes at her words.

The half devil shook his head slowly and said, "I'm not a one-night-stand kinda guy, Faith. You should know that."

Faith glared at him then her shoulders drooped as self-loathing filled her. She looked at him and asked, "What the fuck do you want a tramp like me for? B's a much better choice."

"Buffy's like a sister to me, Faith. I thought I was in love with her for a while but it was just a crush. But you…you're different."

"What the fuck do you know?"

"I know I want to keep you safe," whispered Xander as he took a slow step towards her. She stepped back in reflex and he stopped, holding up his hands. "I want to protect you."

"Don't need protecting," she hissed. "I'm a Slayer, remember?"

"I know. But that doesn't mean you don't _need_ protecting."

Faith's stormy eyes flashed and she lunged at him, punching him furiously in the chest as he caught her against him.

"What do you fuckin' know?" she shouted angrily, struggling against his grip. "I'm bad! I'm bad, yah hear me! BAD!"

"Bullshit," he hissed harshly, eyes blazing. "You don't believe that anymore than I do."

Faith glared at him then slumped in his arms. She let her head fall limply forward, her forehead leaning against his sternum, and whispered, "What do yah want from me?"

Xander gently lifted her chin so he could look into her stormy eyes and replied, "I want you to stop running. Especially from those that love you."

"Last time somebody gave a shit about me, they _died_."

"I'm not just anybody."

"Yeah…"

They stood in silence for a moment then Faith looked up at him and asked, "You…you really want me?" Her voice was soft and quavered slightly, which was a far cry from her usual brash one.

The half devil lifted one hand to caress her cheek, his blue eyes gentle as she stared into them.

"Yes," he breathed softly. "You're beautiful. And who else can throw quips back at me like you do?"

She smiled a little at that then frowned.

"You think I'm…beautiful?"

"My God, Faith," whispered Xander, shaking his head, "who made you think you weren't? You're…you're bloody gorgeous!"

"Really?" said Faith, a small smile twisting her lips. She'd had men tell her she was beautiful before but all they'd wanted was sex. After they'd gotten it, they'd left her curled up in her own bed sobbing. That was when she'd decided _she'd_ be the one taking the sex and leaving the broken heart behind. And she'd hardened herself against everything around her and it had worked.

Until she'd come to Sunnydale after her Watcher's death.

Until she'd met the young man standing close to her and telling her that she was beautiful.

But unlike the other men who'd told her that in her life, she heard the truth in his words. He really, truly cared for her.

Tears she hadn't shed in years began to fall as she realized she'd nearly pushed away someone who loved her. Just like her mother had done to her as a child and as she'd begun to do as a defense mechanism.

Strong arms surrounded her and she sank gratefully into Xander's embrace, burying her face in his shirt. She felt his hands running gently over her back and vaguely heard him muttering comforting words.

Slowly, Faith looked up and felt her knees go weak as she saw the love staring down at her from the half devil's blue eyes. Then she smiled and leaned up to gently kiss his lips, to which he just stood still for a moment. A second later his mouth covered hers hungrily and she slid one arm up to curl around his neck, the other snaking away to bury itself in his white hair.

Xander pulled out of the kiss, gasping for breath, and looked down at the Slayer in his arms. Her stormy eyes searched his face then locked with his own eyes, pleading with him. He frowned and asked, "Are you sure? I mean, we just…"

"Show me what real love is, X-man," breathed Faith. She then smiled coyly up at him and purred, "And don't worry. I'll still be here in the morning."

Xander grinned then crushed his lips against hers as he lifted her up by the waist. His grip shifted to her thighs as she wrapped her shapely legs about his waist, her fingers twining in his hair as they kissed. The steps he took to the bedroom were hasty and he somehow managed to slam the door shut with his foot before he fell onto the bed with the dark-haired Slayer in his arms.

After that, she was the only thing on his mind.

* * *

Faith jerked awake to the sound of someone pounding on a door from far away and shifted so she could bury her head under a pillow. She then stilled as she felt skin brush against hers and turned over to find Xander lying behind her, one of his arms curled about her waist.

A very _naked_ Xander.

"Oh," she breathed after a moment of remembrance. She then let out a surprised squeak as the half devil mumbled something and pulled her close. He buried his face in her shoulder and she smiled at the reassuring feel of his steady breathing against her skin.

It felt…_good_…in his arms. Almost…_right._

Then whoever was at the front door pounded on it again and Xander's whole body twitched. Blue eyes flickered open and looked at the Slayer for a moment before turning to glare at the wall.

"Damnit," he growled, shoving himself up onto one elbow and running a hand through his hair. "I finally get a beautiful woman in my bed and I get dragged out of it by someone banging on my door. Somebody up top hates me."

He then smiled down at her and bent his head to gently kiss her, she gladly returning it. Then he leaned back and whispered, "Good morning."

"Morning. Shouldn't you go answer the door?"

His expression turned grumpy and he grumbled, "I'd really rather stay here but if you insist…"

"I'd rather you stay here too, X-man," replied Faith honestly. She then smiled and added, "But it's rather hard to do anything with someone pounding on the front door."

Xander grinned as he threw back the covers and climbed out of bed to go looking for his pants.

"If it's not important do I get to kill them?"

"Only if they're not human."

"Awww…"

Faith laughed and he gave her his Kicked Puppy expression before leaning down for another kiss. Then he whispered, "Be right back," and left the Slayer alone in his bedroom.

Slowly she sat up, pulling one of the sheets around herself as she did so. Then she took the chance to look around the bedroom, which she hadn't been in since the big pillow fight between her, Xander, and Buffy.

The queen-sized bed took up most of the room but left a good three feet on either side of it and six feet of space at the end. A bookshelf took up the corner to her right and she found it stocked with everything from Stephen King to copies of some of Giles' demon books that had been rescued from the high school library. On the wall across from the end of the bed, a rather spacious dresser took up part of the space. She noticed that Force Edge, Shenzi, and Bonzai were all laid carefully on top of it in their various holders. Then she noticed that her bra was dangling off one of the corners and chuckled a bit.

Turning back to her assessment of the room, she stared momentarily into the mirror on the center of the wall to her left then looked at what took up the rest of the walls. There were at least seven posters in the room and two of them were tacked to the ceiling. The two on the ceiling were both of bands (Led Zeppelin and The Eagles respectively) and four more on the walls were also bands. She was trying to decide if the last poster was a dragon or a devil when she noticed a picture tacked to the wall on to her left. Leaning over, she pulled the tack, carefully making sure to bring it and the picture with her.

She smiled as she saw what it was.

The whole Scooby Gang was there, covered in dust and dirt from a night patrolling together in the cemetery. She smiled as she saw an annoyed Cordelia pulling grass out of her hair and Angel lurking in the background. Then she focused on herself and the white-haired young man standing beside her. She was grinning brightly despite the fact that her hair was riddled with leaves and she was covered in dust. Beside her with his hair nearly gray with dust, Xander had on his trademark smile and had one arm slung around her shoulder and the other around Willow's, who was picking leaves out of Oz's hair. Buffy was on her other side, likewise covered in dust, leaning on her shoulder and holding a crossbow in the other hand. If she remembered correctly, Giles had been the one to take the picture and it was his hand that halfway obscured the upper right corner of the photo.

Shouted curses from the direction of the front door made her look up, startled, and she quickly leaned back over and pinned the picture back to the wall. Xander came into the bedroom seconds later, the look on his face as stormy as a thundercloud.

"What happened?" she asked worriedly.

"The damn Watcher's Council sent a hit squad after you!" snarled the half devil as he went after a new shirt. As he tugged it over his head, he continued, "Somehow they found out that you killed Finch and now they think you're insane! And they apparently have orders to kill you on sight if they can't take you in."

"_What!_"

"What's just what I said when Oz told me," growled Xander as he shoved his feet into his combat boots then began to arm himself.

Faith sat still for a moment then scrambled out of bed, gathering up her own clothes and hurriedly getting dressed. She smiled slightly as she felt Xander's eyes on her.

"Where are we going?" she asked as Xander pulled on his coat and grabbed Force Edge in his left hand.

"Hit squad hunting."

"And if they try to get me along the way?"

The half devil stopped and looked over his shoulder at her with a look in his eyes that scared her. It was the look of a man willing to do anything and everything – including die – for those he held dear.

"We're going to make them wish they'd never come to our town," he growled before sweeping out of the apartment, the brunette Slayer on his heels.

* * *

"Rupert! You're going to get it for this! Travers…"

"I could care less, Collins," said Giles in a bored tone. "Now, if you'll kindly promise to pack your things and go back to England…"

"_We bloody well will not!_"

"Can I shoot them?" asked Xander from where he lurked at the ex-Watcher's shoulder.

"Xander, you would kill them if you shot them with those beasts you call guns."

The half devil frowned then said, "Let me shoot them in the feet then. Losing their feet won't kill them."

"Xander," said Buffy from across the room where she was bandaging a knife wound Faith had earned struggling with Collins. "Come over here and let Giles be tormenty on his own."

Xander growled and glared at Collins, Smith, and Weatherby then walked over to sit down on the other side of Faith. He slung an arm possessively about her waist and she scowled then gratefully leaned back against his chest, earning a surprised look from Buffy. Giles looked at them for a moment then turned back towards the three hit squad members with his Ripper face in place.

The three looked successfully cowed, although Collins was trying to not look like he was scared.

Abruptly the cell phone the hit squad leader had had on him rang, causing everyone in Giles' apartment to glare at it. Then the ex-Watcher picked it up and pressed the little green phone button, smiling evilly at a now frightened Collins.

"Hello, Quentin," purred Ripper into the phone. "I'm afraid Collins can't speak to you right now. He and his 'friends' are a bit indisposed."

"Sir!" began Collins only to have Oz stuff a rolled up sock in his mouth. The man whipped his head around to glare at the werewolf, who held up a finger to his mouth and whispered, "Shh." Collins let out a yelp around the sock as the young man's eyes flashed golden for half a second.

Oz smiled to himself and walked back to where Willow sat with her witch friend Tara trying to get a read on where Adam was.

"Yes, that was Collins," said Ripper. "And no, they didn't complete their mission. Speaking of their mission, Quentin, did you truly think you could get away with it? Did you believe that we didn't know and would turn on Faith when we discovered the reason you were after her?"

He smiled coldly as Quentin Travers voice babbled out of the receiver.

"Of course we knew, Quentin. Now, if you would kindly take Faith off the hit squad's list… No? Are you sure about that, old boy?"

Hazel eyes flicked across the room to Xander, who stared back into them as Ripper said, "Because I have a friend here that would love to come and tell you his opinion about hunting down his friends. Oh, you know him. White hair, rather tall, killed a vampire you were going to set on one of my Slayers?"

There was a pause in which Giles smirked and then Travers babbled something again.

"Faith is off the list? Thank you, Quentin. Yes, we'll send your squad back to you in one piece. Oh, and, Quentin? Come after Faith or any of these children again and you won't have to worry about Xander at your door. _I'll_ be at it and I do remind you that I earned the name Ripper for a bloody good reason."

He turned the phone off and sat it on the table and smiled Ripperishly at the hit squad. Then he looked at Faith as helpful old Giles again and asked, "Are you alright, Faith?"

"Five by five," replied the dark Slayer, leaning away from Xander a bit. Then she looked at him for a moment and said, "You're damn scary when you want to be, G."

Giles just smiled then looked at Xander and jerked a thumb at the hit squad.

"Care to help me send our friends back to England?"

The half devil grinned and replied, "It'd be a pleasure, G-man." He then looked questioningly at Faith and she waved a hand.

"Oh, go have some fun, X-man. I don't mind."

Xander just grinned and bounded joyously up, giving her a kiss on the cheek that made everyone blink. Faith just smirked back at them and smiled fondly at the half devil as he went to join Giles.

As the two picked up Collins' chair and carried him out to where the van the hit squad had come in was parked, Xander asked plaintively, "Are you _sure_ we can't send them back in pieces?"

"Perhaps if we wait and cut them up out of sight of the girls," said Giles, Ripper flashing in his eyes.

Collins looked between the two of them in fear then his eyes rolled up in the back of his head and he fainted dead away. Xander and Giles grinned at each other then tossed him into the van and went back to the other two.

As the girls watched them drive off, Tara asked, "A-are you s-s-sure th-those men will s-survive with th-them?"

"Yep," replied Buffy. She then looked around for a moment then picked up a deck of cards off Giles' coffee table.

"Go Fish, anyone?" 


	16. Pubic Enemy

**Disclaimer:** BtVS and nothin' else mine. 'Cept the plot. Sorta. Eh… General Xander costume something else Halloween episode fic. Also note that some of the characters may sound a bit off as I haven't watched Buffy in a long while and am running off memory of what they sound like as well as fanfics. Chapter titles come from all three DMC OST's.

**Chapter 16 – Pubic Enemy**

"And none of you ever happened to notice that the demons and vamps in town were being as easy as crap to capture?"

Riley, now a fugitive from the Initiative for helping free a recaptured Oz, frowned and said, "Well…no."

Xander growled and sank back onto the couch in his apartment, closing his eyes. In the chair to his right, the commando shifted nervously and silently wondered if Buffy talking her friend into letting him stay was such a good idea. He was especially nervous since he'd found out that the man sitting across from him was Hostile 13. The faded scars across his chest from Xander's escape only served to make him more nervous.

"Okay," said Xander, opening his eyes and staring at his ceiling. "So, what…where are you going?"

"I have no idea," replied Riley as he opened the apartment door and stepped out. He then added, "Uh, _help!_" over his shoulder as he started to walk away.

Xander just sat and stared after him for a moment then leapt up and ran into his bedroom. He rushed back out with his coat and Force Edge slung over one shoulder as he buckled his gun belt on. Slamming the door shut behind him, he sniffed the air then took off after Riley, tugging on his coat as he went.

* * *

"What happened?" asked Buffy as she stared at her friend.

"Apparently there's a chip in Army Boy's shoulder that's kinda like Peroxide's, only without the not-attacking-humans thing. And good ole' Adam is using it to control him," replied Xander.

Standing beside her sister Slayer, Faith crossed her arms and said, "I say we go hack a piece out of Adam. You with me, Sis?"

"I'm with you," said Buffy with a nod. She then looked at Xander and asked, "Can you find your way back into his hidey hole?"

"Yeah but I doubt he's still there. Y'know those evil villains, always moving their bases of operation in their evil ways."

Buffy frowned at that and asked, "Well then how are we going to find him?"

The half devil just smirked and replied, "Get Peroxide."

"What does Spike have to do with anything?" asked Giles as he came out of his kitchen toting a rather massive battle-axe.

"I've got the feeling that he's somehow all twisted up in this. Remember when he tried to turn all of us on each other? I bet you a nickel Adam wanted him to make sure Buff felt like she was alone in trying to take him down and that we wouldn't lift a finger to help her."

"Good thing I saw through that bunch'a lies," said Faith with a smirk. "Damn vamp tried to tell me that B here thought I was a killer and not worth livin'. But I know better, don't I, B?"

Buffy just nodded then turned to look at Giles, hands on her hips.

"So," she asked, "what's the plan?"

"Well, I think we need a way to kill ole' Adam before he makes a mess with his toys," said Xander.

"Uranium core in his chest."

Three pairs of eyes turned to stare at Oz and another joined as Willow looked up from her attempts to hack into the Initiative's computer system. The werewolf blinked then shrugged, saying, "Riley felt like talking. I was there."

"Oookay," said Buffy. "So we have to rip something out of his chest. Sounds easy."

"Or we can blow it out," said Xander, his hands resting on Shenzi and Bonzai. He then looked down at the two guns and continued, "Last time I blew a chunk of his arm off with these guys before he got away. If you girls can keep him busy when we find him, I can take shots at him till I blow the thing that keeps him runnin' like the Energizer Bunny away."

Faith grinned ferally and rubbed her hands together, chirping, "Sounds like a plan to me!"

Giles frowned and scratched his chin worriedly. Then he looked at the half devil and said, "It's not the best laid plan but it's all we've got right now."

"Wh-what about a-an enjoining spell?" asked Tara as she looked up from peering over Willow's shoulder. "W-we could add a l-l-lot of p-power into one p-person a-and let them g-go after Adam."

"Kinda like stickin' G-man's know-how, Wills witchiness and Buff and Faith's Slayer stuff all in one body?"

"Y-yes."

Xander shrugged and said, "Sounds like a plan to me. Think it'd work, G-man?"

"We could attempt it though it could have dire consequences," said Giles. "I would suggest against adding you into the spell, Xander."

"Wasn't plannin' on volunteering. I've got enough troubles with a half devil in my head. Really don't need him munching in on anyone else's brainwaves and I think he'd take offense to that."

Faith shivered slightly and said, "Y'know, it's really weird that he actually exists."

"How do you think _we_ feel?"

"Point taken," said the dark Slayer as she wrapped an arm around his waist. His slid around hers a moment later and he tugged her close, turning his head to kiss her forehead.

"Okay," said Xander after a moment, "so now what?"

"What about those disks Spike gave you, Willow?" asked Giles, turning to look at the Wicca.

The redhead frowned and pulled up a screen on her laptop. She then replied, "They're still…nevermind, they just decoded themselves."

"Okay, not like that wasn't uber freaky or anything."

"Hush, X," admonished Faith, elbowing him in the ribs. "What's the sitch, Red?"

"Its all just stuff we knew about the 314 thingy. Wait! There's something here about his final stage. Something about…uh-oh."

" 'Uh-oh?'" repeated Buffy. "Will, I am so not liking the uh-oh's."

"What's it say, Wills?" asked Xander, frowning worriedly.

Willow looked up at them fearfully and said, "He's supposed to create a buncha cyber-demony things."

Everyone mainly looked shocked then Xander slapped his forehead.

"Holy shit!"

"_Xander!_" shouted three female voices whilst the fourth female smirked.

"Screw my language!" snarled the half devil. "Adam's in the Initiative for sure. And guess what? He's got a bunch of overcrowded cells down there just bursting with demons and vamps ready to tear our Army buddies apart."

"How on earth do you know that?" asked Giles.

"That's what Army Boy and me were chattin' about before his oh-so-nifty chip got turned on and he split." Xander then looked around and asked, "So…what's the plan? We gonna head down and do the magic mojo?"

"The question is which Slayer gets the power up?"

Buffy and Faith looked at each other then the dark haired Slayer smiled and said, "You do it, B."

"Faith…"

"Hey, I'm cool, B. Besides it's your boy toy that we've gotta rescue, so it's only fair."

The blonde looked at her sister Slayer for a long moment then nodded and looked at all of them.

"Okay, let's go."

* * *

"Nice job, B," commented Faith as Buffy kicked the full-length mirror in to reveal the empty elevator shaft. She then fiddled with the buckles on her harness before glancing worriedly at Xander. Her – dare she call him boyfriend? – had moved up to the now blank space and was using Shenzi to get rid of any pieces of the mirror still clinging to its frame. But it wasn't that that had caught her notice.

It was the fact that he wasn't wearing a harness.

"X-man?"

The half devil turned towards her and grinned at her worried look. He winked and said, "No worries, Slaygirl. Little fall like that won't hurt me."

"Xander," said Giles as he pushed his glasses further up on his nose, "I believe it's the principle of the thing Faith is referi…"

"Principle smenciple," said Xander, waving a hand at the ex-Watcher. He then grinned at all of them as he stepped into the open space and waved. "See you guys at the bottom."

He stepped backwards and fell, causing Faith and Buffy to rush forward, Willow not far behind them. The three young women sucked in breaths to loose screams at him as he fell then released them as he tucked his body and rolled in midair, landing in a neat crouch on the bottom of the elevator shaft.

Faith glared down at him and growled, "I'm gonna fuckin' kill him."

"Not if I do it first," protested Buffy as Giles finished hooking up the ropes they would be using to repell down the shaft.

Smoky eyes flashed and the dark Slayer barked, "Race you to the bottom! First one down gets to hurt X-man."

"Deal!"

The two Slayer's grinned at each other then dropped back into the open space, bouncing gracefully down the wall towards the bottom. Both of them landed at nearly the exact same time, so they exchanged a glance then leapt at Xander, smacking him on the back of the head at the same time.

"Ow! Damnit, no Slayer double-teaming!"

"Sorry, X," said Faith, touching his arm gently and giving him a coy smile. "But you did deserve it for that stunt."

"Okay, okay, I consent." He then looked up to see Giles and Willow coming down, which left only Oz and Tara up top. When the werewolf and shy Wicca started down, he looked at Giles, who tossed him one of the two crowbars they'd brought with them.

Xander jammed his in and pulled slightly so Giles could get his in underneath it. The two then looked at each other before pulling the elevator doors open to Buffy's saying, "Okay, let's…"

Click, click! 

"Drop it!" barked one of the dozen commandos' positioned outside the elevator door.

Xander sighed and dropped the crowbar, eloquently commenting, "Well, fuck."

* * *

"Look, you stupid motherfucker, there's a crazy cyber-demon loose in here and I fuckin' know that he's just itchin' to let loose your little demon cadre so he can start buildin' him some playmates!"

Colonel McNamara gave Xander a cold look and growled, "You have just broken into a military installation. Don't make me want to press charges."

Xander growled from deep in his chest and resisted the urge to shake the older man. What was it with military types and not wanting to listen?

"Look," said Willow, deciding to try a more diplomatic method, "Mister Military Man, Adam is here, in a secret lab…"

"We have every inch of this base under surveillance," interrupted McNamara. "Nothing gets in or out without us knowing."

"Really?" said Faith as the lights went out. "Could'a fooled me."

"Shut up, bitch!" snapped one of the commandos ranged behind them with blasters.

Xander's head snapped around and his eyes flashed scarlet angrily.

"Call her a bitch again and I'll rip your head off, you little worm."

"Why you…"

"Sergeant Wilkins, stand down!" snapped McNamara. He then glowered at Xander in the light of a flashlight and growled, "One more outburst like that and I'll see you in jail."

An alarm cut off Xander's scathing reply and the military goons all paled at the sound. Faith snorted from somewhere to the half devil's right and said, "Lemme guess. That'd be yer demon buddies getting' out, wouldn' it?"

McNamara was silent for a moment then he began to bark out orders to the men around him.

"Wilkins, Rickard, Ward, and Hayden, get your squads on the doors! Everyone else, buckle up and get ready!"

"What about the civilians, sir?" asked one of the commandos.

The Colonel turned to study them for a moment then he picked up Shenzi and Bonzai and tossed them to Xander. Force Edge came flying through the air a second later and he slung the sword over one shoulder, his eyes focused on the Colonel.

"Let 'em go. We don't have time to hold them right now."

"But, sir…!"

"_That's an order, soldier!_"

"_Y-yes, sir!_"

The commando scurried off and McNamara looked at the Scoobies, his face looking truly old in the dim light coming from the flashlight he held. He then looked at Xander and said, "Do whatever you want, kid. I'm past giving a shit."

With that he drew a pistol from a hip holster and went over to take up a position behind Wilkins. Xander stared after him then grabbed the closest Scooby – which happened to be Willow – and growled, "Everybody grab a hand. We're haulin' ass out of here before the levee breaks."

"You can see in the dark!" gasped Willow before she was jerked forward by Xander moving. Behind her Giles grunted then grumbled something that sounded vaguely like 'bloody Americans.'

The Scoobies made it into the Top Secret area just as the demons from the containment cells burst into the main compound of the Initiative. Behind them came the sound of gunfire and guttural bellows that made Xander reflexively grip Shenzi and Bonzai. When Buffy glanced curiously at him, he growled, "Those men aren't going to survive."

"I know," said Buffy, her eyes sad. "We can only hope they can hold them back while we do the spell and take down Adam."

"Well, less gabbin' and more movin'!" snapped Faith as she followed Giles into the room labeled 314. "Ooo, nice place. All shiny and shit."

"Now what?" asked Buffy as Xander moved slowly towards a corner of the room. "Xand?"

"There's a door over here," growled the half devil, tugging it open. He then glowered into the dark tunnel that loomed beyond it and sniffed. A dark growl rumbled up out of his chest and he sneered, "They're down this way."

"H-how do y-y-you k-know?" stammered Tara as Willow and Giles began to set up what they'd need for the ritual.

"I can smell Adam's ever-so-wonderful stink. And Army Boy's cologne."

"Ah, my man," purred Faith from where she and Oz barricaded the door. "Can smell anything."

Xander smirked at her over his shoulder then looked at Buffy.

"You ready, Buffster?"

"As I'll ever be. You guys be careful, okay?"

"We are not the one's who need to be careful," said Giles quietly, looking worriedly over his glasses at the two youths.

Buffy smiled and jabbed a thumb over her shoulder at Xander, who was tugging off his leather coat. "Don't worry," she assured the man she still considered her Watcher even though the Council had dismissed him. "I got Xander watching my back."

"And his eyes had better not wander," growled Faith, glaring at the half devil with her hands on her hips.

Xander grinned and walked over to her, swinging his coat about her and settling it on her shoulders. He then bent and kissed the side of her mouth, mumbling, "The only wandering my eyes do is over you, Slaygirl."

The brunette smiled at him and touched the rich red leather of his coat, which hung down to her ankles.

"You trustin' me with yah coat?"

"You betcha," said Xander. He then turned and looked at Buffy, asking, "You ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

"Right. Let's go get Army Boy."

"Be careful!" called Willow after her two best friends as they disappeared into the tunnel. She then sat down and completed the circle on the floor the others had made, joining hands with Tara on one side and Giles on the other. Her eyes glanced up to look at Oz for reassurance then.

From his post at the door with a mace, her boyfriend – who they'd all decided shouldn't join the circle since they didn't know what him being a werewolf would do to Buffy – smiled reassuringly. Willow returned the smile then, taking a deep breath, began the ritual.

* * *

"Riley," hissed Buffy from where she and Xander lurked at the entrance of the tunnel. The commando didn't move and the blonde Slayer frowned, starting to move forward into the room. Xander grabbed her shoulder and shook his head when she whirled to glare at him. He then nodded towards the front of the room, where a zombified Maggie Walsh and another Initiative doctor where working on a body.

"Busy little bees, ain't they?" he hissed, blue eyes darting from them to the rest of the room. "But where's the queen?"

Buffy frowned then both of them stilled as Adam's voice boomed out of the darkness behind Walsh and the other doctor.

"Welcome. I knew you'd come."

"Jig's up," whispered Buffy to the half devil. She then stood and strode out to stand by Riley, placing a hand on his shoulder as she glared at Adam. The commando's head jerked slightly towards her and the Slayer looked down to see fear in his eyes.

"Slayer," said Adam.

"Slayee," shot Buffy back with a smirk. She then pointed over at Xander, who was lurking in the shadows behind her, his eyes glowing scarlet. "Hope you don't mind if I brought a friend."

"The more the merrier," said a voice from her right and she barely had time to dodge an enhanced Forrest as he lunged at her. She then glanced to where Adam was and saw he had disappeared

Forrest spun and started to lunge at her again but was flung backwards by a bullet from Bonzai. Xander came out of the shadows then, both Desert Eagle's out and a scowl on his face.

"You take Adam," he growled. "I'll take the zombie's."

"You can't take me," snarled Forrest, rising from the floor with a hunk missing from his left shoulder. "I'm faster and stronger than you can ever hope to be!"

"Oh really?" said Xander, grinning. He then saw Buffy still standing there and snapped, "Buffy, _go!_"

The blonde frowned at him for a moment then glanced at Riley before running after Adam. Xander watched her out of the corner of his eye then turned towards Forrest, who was running towards him.

Smirking, he took a step back and spun out of the enhanced commando's path, slamming Shenzi down on the back of his neck. Forrest went sprawling behind Riley and Xander pointed Bonzai at point blank range and blew a hole through his back near his stomach.

"MOTHERFUCKER!" roared Forrest, springing off the floor in a spray of blood and lunging at the half devil.

Xander danced back and cursed when Walsh swiped at him with a surgical saw. It cut through the dark shirt he wore and bit into his upper arm, making a shallow wound. Snarling, he jerked his arm, knocking the saw out of her hands. Then he pointed Bonzai at the charging Forrest and Shenzi at Walsh's head and started firing.

Walsh's head was gone in the first round two rounds Shenzi spewed forth and he shifted his aim around to the other zombie doctor, who was coming towards him with a chainsaw. Half a minute later the zombie had no legs to come towards him with.

Forrest dodged the first shot but caught the second on the left side of his head. The upper half of his face was completely demolished by the bullet's impact and sent blood spattering backwards onto Riley, who seemed to be struggling against his chip.

Xander swung Shenzi around and fired both Desert Eagle's into the enhanced commando's chest before Forrest plowed into him and sent them both toppling to the ground.

Blood and was looked (and smelled) like oil spurted from Forrest's shattered chest onto the half devil, who grabbed the commando by the shoulders and shoved him off to the side. Forrest tried to grapple with him but it looked like whatever kept the deceased commando running had been in his chest. Shenzi and Bonzai had effectively done away with whatever it was as there was now a basketball-sized hole there.

"Ge-get…you…"

"Yeah," said Xander as he stood up and sneered down at Forrest's dying body. "Right."

He then stomped what was left of the commando's head in and added, "Come get me when you get another head, asshole."

"W-where's B-Buffy?"

Xander turned his head and looked at Riley, who looked to have clawed his shoulder open to get the behavioral chip out.

"Nice wound," he commented before nodding towards the other side of the room. "She tailed Adam, if you didn't notice me shouting at her."

"We have to help her!"

Xander started to open his mouth to agree then grinned as a wave of magic burst into the air around them, following straight towards the place where Buffy had tailed Adam.

"Not anymore we don't," he said as he picked up his guns, which had fallen out of his hands when Forrest had charged him. "But let's go watch the show, shall we?"

"What the hell are you talking about! Adam'll kill her!"

"Uh-uh, Army Boy," said Xander, waggling a finger. "Adam can beat one Slayer. Hell, he can beat _two_ Slayers. But he can't be two Slayers, two witches and an ex-black mage in one body."

Riley blinked.

"Huh?"

The half devil sighed and grabbed the commando, tossing him over his shoulder effortlessly even as the other young man protested. He then strode after Adam and Buffy, not even having to track them thanks to the fact that it was just one long corridor to whatever room Adam had run to.

"Hey, put me down!"

"Hmm, let's see…no."

"Goddamnit, Xander, put me…_what the hell?_"

"Told yah," said Xander with a smirk as he set the commando down. "The Buffster's got a brand new bang. And damn it's a big one!"

Riley just gaped as he stared across the room. Adam was firing at Buffy with his gun arm but the blonde Slayer was blocking every bullet with a shield somehow. What was really disturbing besides that – as he knew Buffy didn't know a speck of magic – was that her eyes were glowing orange.

A ricocheted bullet shot by his head suddenly and Xander jerked him down behind a console by the scruff of his neck. Riley cursed briefly then popped his head back up in time to see Buffy leap across the room and plant a sidekick in Adam's chest. The kick knocked him backwards at least ten feet, causing him to stagger.

"Impossible…"

"No," said Buffy in a voice that was a combination of hers, Faith's, Giles, Willow's and Tara's. "Nothing is impossible."

Adam snarled and charged forward, throwing a haymaker at the blonde's head. Riley rose up to go and help her but Xander grabbed his arm in an iron grip, holding him back. The commando whirled and threw a wild punch at the half devil's head, which he caught. Xander's eyes flashed scarlet briefly then he gave Riley's arm a hard tug, causing him to collapse to his knees in pain.

"Try and sock me again, Army Boy, and I'll rip your arms off and beat you to death with them."

"Right," hissed Riley, seeing Buffy duck under Adam's haymaker then spring upwards, catching him under the chin with a sidekick that twisted into a roundhouse kick with the other leg. He'd seen Faith use that move enough to know that what Xander had said about Adam being up against two Slayers in one body was true. The blonde wouldn't be using the brunette's moves otherwise.

"We have an understanding then," said Xander, watching Buffy out of the corner of his eye. He smirked a little when he saw Faith's sidekick/roundhouse move – the brunette had caught him with that move a few times when they'd been sparing. "That's good. Now, be a good little soldier and watch the nice demonstration."

Riley bristled and made a mental note to punch the half devil if they made it out of this – or, judging by Buffy's success at kicking Adam's ass, _when_ they made it out of this. Then he slowly stood as Xander released him and glared before turning back to the fight.

"How can this be?" shouted Adam as Buffy blocked his bullets with another shield.

"You can never hope to grasp the source of our power," said combo Buffy. She then spun, catching him in the jaw with a roundhouse kick that had all the power of two Slayers behind it. Adam toppled and she pounced, her orange eyes gleaming as she thrust her hand into his chest.

The man-made creation bellowed in pain and outrage as she pulled out his uranium core.

"But yours is right here."

"No…" moaned out Adam before his body failed without it's core and Death took him.

Xander began to applaud then jerked and growled. He turned to Riley and said, "You take care of her. I've got to get back to the rest of the gang."

Without waiting for a confirmation, he turned and disappeared. Riley stared after him then turned back towards Buffy at a crunching sound. Adam's core crumpled in on itself at a spell from the blonde and vanished in a flash of light. He then sprang forward to catch her as she collapsed.

* * *

Back in room 314, Oz slammed his mace down on the head of one of the demons trying to get through the barricade they'd put up. It stumbled back with a squeal of pain and allowed a large, heavily clawed hand to reach through the hole.

He swung his mace at the hand and hit it but the hand grabbed the iron head of his weapon and crushed it to dust seconds later.

Growling wolfishly, he brandished the metal handle and took a step back towards the collapsed forms of his friends and girlfriend. As the demons took apart the barricade, he snarled, "You can't have them!"

The lead demon – the one that had crushed his mace – laughed throatily and took a step forward. Oz pulled the handle back to take a swing at the demon's broad chest as it lifted an arm to crush him in one blow.

An echoing scream from the hidden lab entrance made the demon pause and look towards it. It then started to backpedal in fear, causing the demons behind it to look around in confusion.

Oz, strengthened by their sudden fear, took a step forward to hit the leader but didn't have a chance as something winged, black and red came charging out of the dark of the tunnel and slammed headfirst into the demon. It went down with a bellow that was quickly snuffed out by a pair of vicious claws slashing its throat clean through. As it gurgled out its death, it's killer hissed and lunged at the other demons, which either charged it or scattered and ran.

"Whoa," said Oz as he watched the winged figure completely demolish the demons that were trying to get his friends and girlfriend. Then he took a cautious step back as it dropped the last demon's now headless corpse and turned its head towards him. Scarlet eyes bored into his and he blinked before he saw the spiked white hair and realized who this was.

"Thanks."

Xander smiled, flashing a pair of rather menacing fangs, then folded his wings against his back as he ducked into the room. A second later Faith began to stir, followed by Willow and the rest of the circle as Buffy and Riley appeared.

"I-it w-w-worked!" stammered Tara, smiling nervously at Buffy.

"Yeah," said the blonde Slayer. She then looked at the towering form of Xander and smiled, saying, "Now, there's some men who need help."

"Ooo, we get to kill demons?" asked Faith, her stormy eyes bright.

Xander chuckled and growled, "Only things to kill around here, Slaygirl." He then sniffed the air and said, "Oh, and look, there's one now…"

With that he ducked out of the room and took off down the corridor. Buffy and Faith hurried out of the room in time to see him throw a terrified looking Spike against the wall with a furious roar and promptly rip the vampire's head off.

"Ew…" commented Buffy. She then turned to her friends and said, "You guys get to the exits and get them open. Riley, try and get as many of the commandos out as you can."

"And what are we gonna do, sis?" asked Faith, as a now human Xander joined them, his blood-stained hands resting on Shenzi and Bonzai's grips.

The blonde looked from her sister Slayer to her friend then replied, "Kill demons. What else is there to kill around here?"

* * *

"I walk. I talk. I shop. I sneeze. I'm gonna be a fireman when the floods roll back. There's trees in the desert since you moved out. And I don't sleep on a bed of bones. Now give me back my friends."

"No friends," growled the First Slayer. "Just the kill. We are alone."

"No, I'm not," said Buffy.

"No, she's not," said Faith, stepping out from behind the blonde. "She's got me."

"You…"

"I've had enough, ain't you, B?"

"Yeah," said Buffy. "I've had enough. Waking up now."

The First Slayer growled in protest and leapt at her tackling her to the ground. Buffy let loose a haymaker at her head…and ended up hitting Xander in the eye as he attempted to shake her awake.

"_Shit!_ Fuck, Buff, I ain't the enemy!"

"Oh, Xander, I'm sorry!"

"Hey," groaned Faith as she wrenched herself out of sleep. "Yah ruin his good looks and I'll be breakin' bones."

"I'm sorry!" exclaimed Buffy again, looking apologetically at the half devil.

Xander poked the skin underneath his eye and winced then shook his head, saying, "It's okay, Buff. You mind tellin' me what made you throw a haymaker at my eye? Whatever did my eye do to piss you off? I mean, I'm gone five minutes to go make popcorn and I come back and you guys are all out then I try and wake you up and get a nifty black eye."

"We were attacked," said Giles as he slipped his glasses back on.

"Attacked?" Xander looked around the room then arched an eyebrow. "Um…not seeing any damage here, G-man."

"In our heads," explained Willow as Oz came into the Summers living room with Xander's aforementioned bowl of popcorn, happily munching on a handful. He then stopped and looked at all of them, frowning.

"What happened?"

"Oh, just the First Slayer playin' around with our minds," said Faith cheerfully.

"Yes," said Giles, cleaning his glasses. "I do believe the joining with Buffy rather…well…"

"Pissed it the fuck off?"

"Thanks you, Faith, for that exquisite explanation."

The brunette grinned and chirped, "You're welcome!" making Xander shake his head as Giles groaned. That was his girl, bad mouth and all.

"You knew something like this might happen?" asked Willow.

"Well, I _did_ say it could have dire consequences."

Buffy snorted. "You say that about chewing too fast."

"Did something happen?" asked Joyce Summers as she poked her head into the living room.

"Just some backlash from that spell, Mrs. S. Nothin' to worry about," said Faith.

"Well…I think that calls for some hot chocolate. Tara, would you come help me?"

"S-s-sure."

As the shy witch followed Joyce into the kitchen, Giles leaned towards the two Slayers and asked, "Are you both alright?"

"Five by five, G," said Faith with a grin. "First didn't seem to be after me. She wanted B, here."

"Likely because she was the focus of the spell and you were a part of it," said the ex-Watcher. He then looked at the older Slayer and asked, "Are you alright, Buffy?"

"It was a little intense but I'm okay," replied the blonde. "If you guys'll excuse me, I'm gonna go get a shower."

As she went upstairs she heard Faith ask, "Hey, did anybody else see the weird guy with tha cheese?"


	17. Darkness Instinct

**Disclaimer:** BtVS and nothin' else mine. 'Cept the plot. Sorta. Eh… General Xander costume something else Halloween episode fic. Also note that some of the characters may sound a bit off as I haven't watched Buffy in a long while and am running off memory of what they sound like as well as fanfics. Chapter titles come from all three DMC OST's. 

**HolyKnight**: as it says in the disclaimer, the chapter titles are songs from all three Devil May Cry games. The title of the previous chapter is one of them.

**Chapter 17 – Darkness Instinct**

"Dracula," said Xander as he looked across Giles' kitchen table at Buffy. "You mean turning into mist, cloud of bats, Transylvanian, 'I vahnt to suck yur blawd' Dracula?"

"Real as life," confirmed the blonde. "Will saw him too."

Blue eyes darted to the redheaded witch, who nodded several times, and he frowned. Then he leaned back in his chair and said, "Well, that's interesting."

It was Buffy's turn to frown now as she said, "I tell you Dracula is in town and all you can say is 'ah, interesting?'"

"Well, it is," defended Xander. "And my 'ah, interesting', as you put it, was to the fact that Dante distinctly remembers seeing Dracula's nicely staked and entombed corpse a few years ago."

"Oh."

"So, did you get a chance to see his powers in action?" asked the half devil. "Do they work like the book says?"

Willow stared to reply then frowned and asked, "Wouldn't Dante know that?"

"Note the 'nicely staked and entombed corpse' comment, Wills. Now Dante's _dad_ might have been around long enough to know how Dracula's powers work but, as far as I know, Dante himself is barely pushing thirty."

He then looked at Buffy again and repeated, "So, do they work like the book says?"

The blonde blinked at him and muttered, "What?"

"His powers, Buff."

"Oh, sorry. Um…I guess they do."

Xander sighed at that then turned to Willow, saying, "C'mon, Wills, I know _you've_ read _Dracula_. I've seen it on your bookshelf. Anything familiar?"

"Er…oh, he turned into a bat!"

"Hmm," said Xander, leaning back in his chair. He then looked up as Giles entered and asked, "Hey, G-man, what do you think of all this?"

Giles continued towards the kitchen sink with an empty mug as he replied, "It's an exciting experience but we have to remember that we are still dealing with a vampire. And allowing our enthusiasm for the actual existence of Dracula to overcome that knowledge could very well be our downfall."

The three youths looked at him for a moment then Buffy commented, "Wow, what a mood-breaker…"

"Nah, he's right," insisted Xander with a shake of his head. "We need to be careful with him in town. And we really need to find out what about him is truth and what's not."

"How can we do that?" asked Willow. "No one can be a spy since he can do mind-controlling stuff and y'know…stuff."

Xander grinned at his best friend's fumbling, saying, "Exactly, Wills. Which means we'll just have to keep an eye out and be extra careful. You got that, Buffster?"

"Extra careful," repeated Buffy, her mind obviously elsewhere. But she smiled despite this and said, "Got it."

"God damnit, Buff, didn't I tell you to be careful!" raged Xander two days later after Riley discovered the bite mark on her neck. He continued to vent his wrath at her, vampires in general, and Dracula until Faith stepped forward to hug him from behind, causing him to stiffen. Then he relaxed and pulled her against his side, most of his anger fading away.

He looked at Buffy again and said, "Sorry, Buffster."

"S'ok," replied the blonde Slayer, shrugging slightly. She clasped a hand nervously over the bite mark and smiled at him. "You're worried about me."

"Of course he is!" exclaimed Faith. "We all are." She then frowned and asked, "How come tall, dark and fanged is only coming after you?"

Xander arched a pale eyebrow at his lover and asked, "You jealous, Slaygirl?"

The brunette jabbed him in the ribs in response then hissed, "You wanna sleep on the couch tonight, Chuckles?"

"No, ma'am. I think you broke a rib…"

"Wuss."

Xander childishly stuck out his tongue in response then immediately went back to a serious mood.

"Okay," he said, "good old Dracy's after Buff. So, we know what we've got to do."

"We do?" asked Willow, brows furrowed.

"Apparently," replied Oz stoically.

The half devil sighed and pressed a hand to his temple, closing his eyes.

"We've got to keep him away from the Buffster. Or vice versa."

"Which means what exactly?" asked Buffy, arching a blonde eyebrow.

Faith grinned ferally in response and rubbed her hands together as she cheerfully exclaimed, "Lock-up time! Can I keep the key? I wanna keep the key."

Everyone gathered in Giles' apartment stared at her and Xander shook his head as he looked down at her.

"Faith, honey," he said slowly, "sometimes you scare me. You really do."

Dark eyes blinked at him and Faith pouted.

"Your not gonna let me keep the key, are you?"

Xander groaned even as Buffy raised a hand and said, "Uh, how about nothing involving me that includes a key?"

"Drat," grumbled Riley, snapping his fingers. He then grinned as Buffy turned to glare at him and asked, "What?"

The blonde frowned at him then looked at Xander, who turned to catch her eyes as she spoke again.

"So, Xand, what do you have in mind?"

The half devil smiled and Buffy frowned, turning to look at Willow, who was also frowning.

"Why do I not like that smile?"

"That's his 'I have a plan and you're not gonna like it' smile," replied the Wiccan. She buried her face in Oz's shoulder then and mumbled, "Make him stop it."

The werewolf arched an eyebrow then turned to look at Xander, who was grinning in a very menacing fashion now. It was the sort of grin that made your guts twist and gave you the distinct urge to run for the hills and bunk there for a few centuries to stay the hell out of the way.

"Xander."

"Yeah?" asked the half devil, looking at the werewolf curiously.

"Dangerous?"

"Nope. Perfectly safe."

Oz looked at him for a long moment then shrugged.

"Okay."

Giles sighed, rolling his eyes, and asked, "What exactly _is_ your plan, Xander?"

"Now that's for me to know and just Buffy to find out. Y'know, since Dracy's got that thrall thing going and any of you are suspect to being under it. Especially the Buffster but that's a given."

"Uh, right here, y'know," commented Buffy.

"Um…doesn't that mean you could be under it?" asked Tara nervously.

Xander shrugged and replied, "Sure, it's possible but not probable."

Several Scoobies frowned and Riley asked the question they were all thinking.

"And why's that?"

"'Cause Dracy's miiiighty powerful but it takes more than just one mind whammy to put one over on anyone of devil blood. Oh, and trust me, if he'd even gotten me a little under you'd take notice real fast."

"I hate to repeat a question that's already been asked," said Giles, "but why is that?"

Xander smiled and replied, "Because I'd either be having conversations with myself or be curled up in a corner of my apartment attempting to rip him out of my head. Hence the reason why Dracy wouldn't ever be trying to enthrall me. Devil's make sucky minions."

He winced then, obviously having struck some internal cord, and muttered, "Unless you do the job right, that is."

"What?"

The half devil looked up in response to the question and met Giles' curious eyes. Shaking his head, he muttered, "Nothing. It's nothing." Then he said in a louder voice, "So, I'll go and hide the Buffster from Dracy and you guys can…well, you can figure something out, right?"

"Why am I not reassured by that statement?" wondered Riley aloud even as Xander bustled Buffy towards the door.

Oz chuckled and replied, "It's cause it's Xander."

"Hey!" snapped the half devil as Buffy opened the door. "I resemble that remark!"

Faith rolled her eyes and walked over to him, pulling his head down for a short but breathtaking kiss. He whined as she pulled away and smiled coyly at him.

"What was that for?" he growled after a moment.

"Just a little incentive for you to hurry back and help us," replied the dark Slayer.

Xander grunted at that.

"Thanks, Slaygirl." He then turned towards Buffy and made a shooing motion, saying, "C'mon, c'mon, let's get a move on!"

The blonde smiled as they moved out the door and said, "You just wanna get rid of me so you can come back and do the nasty with Faith during a research break."

"Damn right!" was heard before the door closed and Giles closed his eyes with a groan, shaking his head at his children's antics. Then he turned to those that remained and said, "Come now, let's get to work!"

A few groans answered him but everyone quickly got to work, knowing they didn't have much time to work in.

* * *

"What do you mean _she's gone!_" raged Riley into Giles' phone.

"I mean just that, Army boy," growled Xander from the other end of the line. "And I'm currently standing waist deep in sludge so excuse me if I'm not really in the mood to argue with you."

"Why you…HEY!"

"Stuff it," snapped Faith as she put the phone to her ear. "X? What happened?"

"Dunno for sure. One minute I'm heading back from hiding Buff and the next thing I know I'm drowning in sludge. I rushed back on account of a paranoid feeling and she wasn't there. Whatever clocked me must've took her and I'll give you three guesses about who it was and the first two don't count." He paused then said, "I'm never gonna flush anything down the toilet that shouldn't be flushed ever again."

"And you are _so_ taking a shower the instant you get back."

"Tell me about it. I'll check around and see if I can find some clues about where Bat Boy may have taken Buffy before I head back."

"No," said Faith. "I'll do that. You get back here."

Xander sighed and replied, "Yeah. I really need nose plugs. I really really do…"

"X?"

"Yes, honey?"

"Stop whining and get your ass back here."

"Yes'm," replied Xander wearily before the line went dead. Faith placed the phone back in its cradle then turned to Riley, who looked ready to explode. "You okay, Army Boy?"

"No, I'm not okay! Buffy is missing, most likely taken by Dracula, and we've got no idea where she may be!"

Faith sighed and said, "And that is why we are going to go check around town."

Riley blinked.

"Okay."

The Dark Slayer shook her head then began to gather up various pieces of weaponry just in case they ran into something on the search.

"Saddle up then, Army Boy. We're going vamp huntin'."

* * *

"Y'know," commented Xander, "you live in Sunnydale for a few years and you start to memorize what's here. I mean we got the Expresso Pump, UC Sunnydale, what used to be our high school, and a Hellmouth. Those I've noticed. Why didn't I notice the big honkin' castle of creepiness?"

"Cloud cover?" quipped Oz as he hefted a battle-axe onto his shoulder.

"Eh-heh. Right."

"Anything look familiar, X?" asked Faith as they entered the castle's entrance hall. "You said Dante'd been here before."

"No, I said Dante had seen Dracula nicely staked and entombed," corrected Xander as he unsheathed Force Edge. "I never said anything about him seeing him in his castle."

"Oh."

Willow looked around nervously then asked, "Should we split up to look?"

"It would probably be the best course of action," replied Giles as he loaded the heavy crossbow he carried in the crook of one arm.

"Give a shout if you find anything!" called Faith over her shoulder as she disappeared through an archway.

"Shout. Okay." Willow looked at Oz and said, "Pair up?"

"Pair up," replied the werewolf with a nod and the two set off into the castle.

Xander looked after them then said, "I'll check upstairs. And keep an eye out for anyone human. We've got no idea if Dracy's got some people under thralls."

"What was the name of the guy in the book that he enthralled?" asked Riley as Giles walked off.

"Renfield. Why?"

"Just wondering what I should call them if I find one."

The half devil turned to frown mildly at him then shook his head.

"If that was supposed to be a joke, you'll have to do a lot better, Army Boy."

Riley grinned wryly and asked, "Who said it was a joke?"

Xander rolled his eyes then crouched, leaping straight up onto the second floor balcony without another word. As he disappeared from sight, Riley grunted, "Show off," before he went off to search.

* * *

"So who got enthralled?" asked Buffy as the gang all gathered back at Giles' apartment. She had successfully broken Dracula's thrall over her after drinking some of his blood and proceeded to kick his ass and stake him once before Xander charged into the room, sword swinging. He managed to come in just as the vampire was reforming behind him and cut off his head accidentally on a back swing. After getting staked by Buffy again, Dracula fled, leaving Xander to shake his head and mutter about how overrated his reputation was.

"Jonathan," replied Willow. "Oz and I met him whilst we were looking about. He almost set us on fire but Oz hit him with his axe and knocked him out!"

Oz shrugged and slung an arm about her shoulders, saying, "Fire bad."

"Whoa, caveman intellect at three o' clock," quipped Xander, earning a mild glower from the werewolf. He then grinned and said, "Hey, at least you guys didn't fall into a pit with Dracy's brides."

"Who did that?" asked Faith as Riley covered his mouth with his hand to hold back laughter. In the kitchen, Giles paled and began to busily straighten up items on the counter.

Xander grinned wolfishly in response then looked at Riley, who was slowly losing the battle against his laughter. Finally he broke down completely, prompting Buffy to stare at him and Xander to pat him on the back.

"Okay, clue in, X," said Faith, planting her hands on her hips. "I want the sitch now. Who fell in a chick-pit?"

The half devil burst out laughing as Riley stammered out, "_G-G-G-Giles!_"

Willow's eyes widened and she clapped her hands over her mouth to cover a squeal, looking at Oz. The werewolf just smiled in amusement, which made the Wicca start to giggle.

"_GILES!_" exclaimed Buffy, spinning to look at the ex-Watcher.

Faith wolf-whistled and said, "Hey, go, G!"

"I'll have you know that nothing whatsoever went on, young lady!"

"Oh puh-lease," said the dark Slayer, earning a glare from the older man. She ignored it and sauntered over to Xander, twining her arm with his. "And didn't I promise you something?"

Xander blinked then grinned. He turned to the others and said, "Bye, guys!"

"Where are you two…no, wait, don't answer that," said Buffy, shaking her head. Faith just grinned wickedly back at her then the two were gone out the front door.

The elder Slayer then smiled and turned to Giles, who was looking relieved at their exit.

"Giles?"

"Yes, Buffy?" replied the Englishman as he took off his glasses.

"You really fell in a chick-pit?"

Giles just frowned in response and muttered, "Impudent teenagers," as he cleaned his glasses then went to make a pot of tea.

* * *

"Hey, Buff, you ready to head out?" called Xander as he entered the Summers house through the back door. "Hey, Mrs. S!"

Joyce smiled at him and said, "Hello, Xander. Are you all going somewhere?"

"Just to the movies."

"Ah, I see. Hello, Buffy."

"Hey, Mom," replied the Slayer as she entered the kitchen. She blinked at Xander and asked, "Where's Faith?"

"Waiting in the car," replied the half devil, jabbing a finger over his shoulder. "Next stop is to snag your beau from his place of residence then head off to the land of the big screen and popcorn goodness."

"Alright then. Let's go."

"Oh, Buffy!" called Joyce after them as they started out the door as she heard footsteps on the stairs. "Why don't you take your sister with you?"

A dark-haired teenage girl entered the kitchen at that exact moment and both girls exclaimed, "_MOM!_"


	18. Ultra Violet

**Disclaimer:** BtVS and nothin' else mine. 'Cept the plot. Sorta. Eh… General Xander costume something else Halloween episode fic. Also note that some of the characters may sound a bit off as I haven't watched Buffy in a long while and am running off memory of what they sound like as well as fanfics. Chapter titles come from all three DMC OST's.

**Chapter 18 – Ultra Violet**

"Dawnie?"

The teen looked up from staring at the ground as it passed underneath her feet then turned back to it as she inadvertently met Xander's eyes. That crystalline blue gaze glowed with disappointment and she couldn't stand to look into them with it there.

"Y-yeah?" she stammered nervously.

She heard him sigh and say, "Dawnie, look at me."

When she didn't response he stopped, turning and pulling her to a halt with both hands on her shoulders. Then he grasped her chin, lifting her eyes so they locked with his.

"I'm not mad at you. Sure as hell disappointed that you didn't think when you ran outside but, hey, that I can forgive. I mean, me, numero idiot here in Sunny D."

"You're not an idiot," mumbled Dawn, glancing away from his face. "I'm an idiot for getting kidnapped.

"Look at me, Dawn."

Her eyes turned back and he sighed again.

"You're not an idiot," he said, swiping a strand of hair behind her ear. "All of us slip in the heat of the moment sometimes and do stupid shit. It's a human thing." Then he grinned at her and added, "Now getting kidnapped by _Harmony_ of all people, that's stupid."

Dawn glared at him, making his grin widen. Then she smiled and said, "Okay, it was stupid."

"Yeah, but all's okay now. You're fine, I'm fine, vamp's are dead, and we're gonna be back home before anyone even notices we were gone."

They started walking again and Dawn bit her lip before asking a question.

"Xander?"

"Yeah, Kiddo?"

She smiled a bit at the nickname – Xander was the only one she'd let get away with calling her any semblance of 'kid'.

"How come you found me and Buffy didn't?"

The half devil chuckled and tapped the side of his nose, replying, "I'm pretty damn good at sniffing out people. Think it's from the hyena possession."

"Oh. That's…cool."

"Sure it's cool. I'm all with the coolness."

Dawn smiled at that and nodded, saying, "Yeah."

Xander grinned then said, "Hey, why don't we order pizza when we get back?"

"Uh, Xander, you _brought_ pizza with you."

"Yeah, but we _ate_ that pizza. I'm talking _new_ pizza."

She laughed at that and shook her head.

"What is it with you and pizza?"

Xander frowned thoughtfully at that then said, "Y'know, I really don't know. Maybe it's my inner Dante showing through. I've got a vaguish memory of what his office looks like and…"

"Pizza boxes?"

"Tons. Oh, and demon heads tacked to the wall. That's one thing I'm glad I didn't get from him: his sense of decoration."

"Is there anything cool about his office?" she asked with an arched eyebrow.

"He's got a set of drums," replied Xander. "That's cool, right?"

"Yeah, that's cool."

They walked in silence along the sidewalk until they got in front of the Summers house, where Dawn abruptly stopped. Xander came to a halt next to her and look at her curiously.

"Something wrong, kiddo?"

She bit her lip nervously then mumbled, "What if she hates me? I mean, I invited a vampire into the house because I was stupid and I should've just let you handle it and not been…"

A hand covering her mouth cut her off and she blinked in surprise at Xander.

"Like I said before, you're not stupid," he intoned, staring straight at her with an unnerving intensity in his eyes. "And Buffy may shout at you for it but I know that's she's going to be ecstatic to see you safe and sound and unbleedinglike. Now shush, you started doing Willow babble. Only Wills can do Willow babble. She has it trademarked and everything."

Dawn giggled behind his hand and he smiled before letting it drop.

"You okay now?"

"Ready to face the firing squad," replied Dawn, to which he frowned. He started to say something in response to that when the front door slammed open, nearly getting thrown off its hinges.

"DAWN MARIE SUMMERS!"

They both winced at Buffy's tone of voice and the teenager turned to the half devil with an arched eyebrow.

"Ecstatic to see me, eh?"

Xander shrugged and said, "I never said the ecstaticness would be showed."

Dawn glared at him then was abruptly swept up in the furious whirlwind that was Buffy.

"What were you _doing?_ Were you thinking? Are you okay? They didn't hurt you did they, 'cause if they did, there's gonna be some serious Slayer pummeling going on!"

"Let the girl breathe, B," said Faith as she appeared at Xander's side, sliding an arm about his waist. As Buffy released her, Dawn turned to look at the two, feeling a light trickle of jealously.

Xander was cool and one of the few people that didn't treat her like 'Buffy's little sister'. He treated her like the person she was and she loved him for that.

As she watched him smile and bend his head to kiss the dark Slayer, she smiled. She knew that he'd never look at her like that and that hurt. But seeing him happy with Faith…that was okay.

"Is she okay?" called Willow from the porch and the teen turned, waving.

"I'm fine!" Dawn then turned to Buffy and asked, "Mom's not going to hear about this, is she?"

Buffy frowned at her then the stern expression faded as a small smile spread across her face.

"No, she's not."

Dawn grinned then asked, "Then can we order pizza? Xander said we could order pizza."

The blonde Slayer looked up at the aforementioned person, who grinned back at her. She then smiled and, with a shrug, said, "Why not?"

"See," said Xander as he and Faith passed her and Buffy as they headed for the house. "Everything's a-okay."

"Yeah," said Dawn with a nod, grinning up at him. "It is."

* * *

"Y'know what?" said Xander airily as he and Faith began their patrol. "I'm really beginning to hate this town."

"Just now?" asked the dark Slayer, earning a scowl from him. She then smiled and moved closer to him, winding an arm about his waist underneath his coat. "What's the what, babe?"

"I'm the mystical butt monkey."

A dark eyebrow arched in response to that.

"I am!" insisted Xander. "First, I'm the only one that gets stuck in their Halloween costume. Second, I find out that the guy I went as is actually real. Third, I've dated both a She-Mantis and a mummy. Okay, not dated on that first one but still. Nearly assaulted and had my head bitten off. Fourth, I, of all people, get hit by that worthless demon's mystic ray of body splittingness and end up with two of me running around town. One of which was old me and the other of which was new me. All-over not a good combination."

They walked in silence for a few moments then Faith said, "You're right. Yah are the mystical butt monkey."

"Oh, thanks, hun," he drawled sarcastically. "Just what I needed: my fears confirmed."

The dark Slayer ground to a halt at that, pulling away from him to fix him with a smoky glare.

"Now look here, X. I don't know about the dating thing, though I'll tell you I never want to hear about it again…"

"So noted."

"Don't interrupt," growled Faith. She then continued, "But I do know that you getting all devily was a damn good thing for this town." _Even though I can tell that you yourself aren't as fond of it as you seem to have been since I meet yah_, she added silently to herself.

Xander snorted and spat, "And how do you figure that?"

"A lot more people would be dead if you weren't around. And…and I'm not certain I would be in the spot I'm in if you weren't."

He blinked then asked, "What do you mean?"

Faith bit her lip, which sent off warning bells in the half devil's head. His Slaygirl showing nervousness was almost a sign of the apocalypse. _Almost._

"Look," she said, "yah did a lot for me. Nobody else gave a shit about me really but you. Though I gotta say yah weren't on the up 'n up with the me movin' thing."

"I should have done it earlier," he said regretfully. At her odd look, he amended, "Getting you out of that shit hole, not moving in with me. It took me a while to even figure out I was falling for you."

"Not your fault," Faith said, reaching up to touch his face. "And I should'a said something."

"We're both idiots."

"Nah, just don't like to let go of our secrets. Oh, and to note, I kinda liked the double you thing."

He blinked.

"Wha-huh?"

She smiled in a sultry fashion and pressed up against him, making a slow circle with one finger across his cheek and jaw.

"I had two for the price of one," she purred, grinning. "Imagine all the fun."

"Hun, that's definitely of the creepy. A threesome that involves another me…oh God, you've actually got me thinking about it!"

Faith chuckled that low, husky laugh he loved and he smiled, hugging her against him. Then he sighed and said, "As much fun as talk of our sex life is…"

"Vamp's?" she asked, pulling away from him slowly with a frown.

"Heading straight at us. Fast."

He then frowned and sniffed the air, causing Faith to look at him oddly.

"What's up, X?"

"It's scared," he replied. "And not of us. I feel…hurt."

"Me too. Wanna go make the scary creatures quiver in fear of us?"

Xander nodded and replied, "And see if we can find what it's so scared of. Something scarier than a Slayer and half devil duo…well, I shudder to think of the last thing that was scarier than that."

Faith just nodded at that, knowing that he was referring to Adam. She then grinned and shot forward into a sprint, weaving back and forth between tombstones as she headed for whatever was coming towards them. Xander was right behind her in the next instant, one hand reached back to grasp Force Edge's hilt.

When a familiar blonde staggered out of the trees, the both of them skidded to a halt. The three stared at each other for a moment before the blonde shrieked and dove back into the trees. They heard her crashing through them and turned slowly to look at each other in confusion.

"Was that Harmony?" asked Xander.

"Yeah," replied Faith. "Should we follow?"

"Faith…it's _Harmony._"

"Good point. Let's go check the next cemetery, eh? I need to work off some tension."

The half devil grinned wickedly at that and said, "I know better ways to work off tension."

Faith turned to look at him with a smile.

"And I thought _I _was the sex fiend in this relationship."

"Well, you _are_ the one that was talking about a threesome with two versions of me."

"I swear, X, it would be great. You in bed now is a dream. Two of you…mmm, I get wet just thinking about it."

Xander came to a halt for a moment with a grunt then started walking again, swiftly catching up with her.

"You did that deliberately."

Faith gave him that sultry smile again then broke into a run, not answering him. He scowled after her then broke into a jog, following her path through the cemetery.

"I hate you," he commented as he caught up with her.

"No, yah don't."

"Yes, I do."

"No, yah don't."

"Yes, I do."

"No, yah don't."

"Yes, I do."

And so the banter continued until they determined that there were no vampires to slay and returned to Xander's apartment to full appreciate its privacy and comfortable bed.

* * *

"Xander!" exclaimed Dawn in a hysterical voice, rushing towards him the moment she caught sight of his white hair. "Oh God, oh God!"

"Hey, hey! Easy there with the grip, Kiddo," said the half devil as she flung her arms about his waist and buried her face in his shirt. He wrapped her in a warm hug, looking over her shoulder at Buffy.

Faith moved on past her lover to her sister Slayer and asked, "What's the what, B? X said somethin' about Joyce being sick."

"I don't know," replied Buffy in a meek voice. "They haven't told us anything yet."

Faith frowned at that then noticed a fairly handsome young man wearing blue scrubs walking towards them. "Well, B, I think we're about to find out."

The blonde looked up at that and eyed the young man with obvious relief.

"How is she?" she asked.

"The doctors aren't certain about that right now." As he saw her face fall and Faith's harden, he quickly added, "Though it's very unlikely it was anything serious, but we'll be running tests for the next few hours just to check."

"How long will it be before we can take her home?" asked Xander, having arrived behind the two Slayer's with an arm flung across Dawn's shoulders.

The young man looked up at him, obviously taking a moment to process the white hair coupled with his youth, then replied, "It shouldn't be too long before you can do that. So until then just sit tight and I'll try to keep you all informed."

"So Mom's okay?" asked Dawn, not having heard earlier.

He smiled reassuringly at her and said, "Your Mom's going to be fine. Say, why don't you take this?" Glancing once at Xander, he pulled off his stethoscope and held it out to her. She looked at it for a moment then slowly took it from him with a small smile.

"Um…thanks."

"Maybe it'll keep you occupied till your Mom gets out. I'm Ben, by the way."

"Thanks for giving us the what on Joyce," said Faith, earning a confused expression from the intern. She ignored it and went over to Dawn, saying, "C'mon, Dawnie, let's go have a sit."

Ben blinked then shook his head as he looked at Buffy, who had been joined by a coffee-wielding Riley. He said, "I'll try and keep you all informed on how she's doing."

"Thank you," said Buffy. She then turned to Riley, smiling gratefully as she accepted the coffee. "Thanks."

"No problem," replied her boyfriend before he steered her over to the seats Faith, Dawn, and Xander had appropriated. As they settled in the empty seats nearby, they watched with small smiles as the teenager set to work with her borrowed stethoscope.

Dawn listens to her heart first then to Faith's, which she noted was faster than hers. Zipping down to her sister at Xander's suggestion, she heard the same speed heartbeat.

"It's 'cause we're sister Slayers," said Faith when she mentioned it. "Partners in crime and all that."

"Crime?" Xander said with an arched eyebrow as Dawn moved to listen to his heart. He looked from one Slayer to the other and added, "And you guys never invited me to help? I'm hurt."

"Figured you're hair would get us caught, X-man."

"Hey, it's not my fault I've got white hair."

"Your heart's the same as theirs," noted Dawn then, which brought all attention to her.

"Lemme see," said Faith, extending her hand for the stethoscope. When it was handed over, she listened to her heartbeat then to Xander's, who was taking the whole thing in with an amused expressions. As she handed the object back to Dawn, who scampered over to Riley, she said, "Damn, she's right. What the hell, X?"

Xander shrugged and replied, "Don't ask me. I haven't got a clue about devil physiology. I'm surprised you've never noticed it."

"Well, I never listen to my own heartbeat or B's, so how could I?"

"Good point. Hey, Kiddo, what's with the face?"

Every eye turned on Dawn again, who was looking at Riley in horror. She then solemnly handed the stethoscope to her sister, who frowned at her then took a turn listening to Riley' heart. Her eyes widened in fear and she hauled him out of his seat, dragging him down the hall towards a doctor.

Xander blinked after them then looked at Dawn, asking, "What was that about?"

The teenager shook her head and she replied, "Heart's aren't supposed to beat that fast."

Xander and Faith looked at each other then both turned to look down the hall where Buffy was sporadically waving her arms at a doctor and speaking a mile-a-minute. Riley, standing behind her, was looking more and more annoyed and only went with the doctor when the blonde Slayer gave him a shove.

"So," said Faith slowly as the blonde started back towards them, "somethin's up with Army Boy."

"Apparently. And somehow I don't sense its of the good," commented Xander.

* * *

Xander was restlessly patrolling the UC Sunnydale campus later that night, going solo with just a stake as a weapon. He'd left Faith asleep back at his apartment with a note in case she woke up while he was out.

After they'd found Riley after he just up and vanished when they brought Joyce back to the Summers home and had gotten him fixed up, the situation with the Summers matriarch had hit him hard. They weren't sure what was wrong with her, the doctors weren't sure what was wrong with her but said it was nothing serious, and Xander knew instinctively that something was wrong. Something was _badly_ wrong.

The thought of Joyce dying had trickled into his mind at some point in time and he hadn't been able to get it back out. It sat there and festered and wore relentlessly at him, finally driving him out to hunt.

Joyce dying…stirred up too many feelings in him. First off, she was the Mom he wished he'd had growing up. Secondly, he remembered the death of Dante's mother far too vividly. By all rights, he'd lost a mother twice as he'd cut all connections with his folks after he'd moved out. Still cared to make a pass every now and then to make sure they were still alive but never made contact.

He wasn't certain if he could take a third death like that.

Shaking his head in an attempt to clear the thoughts, he paused outside the window to Buffy and Willow's room. The blonde he knew was inside asleep and as far as he knew Willow was at Oz's place.

After a moment of watching the window, he turned and broke into a jog as he caught a whiff of dead flesh on the wind. He came around a tree and jumped a bench, kicking the vampire in the jaw hard enough to snap bones. The vampire spun back towards him with a snarl then let out a surprised whimper as he buried his stake between its ribs. Yellow eyes blinked at him in confusion then disintegrated with the rest of the body into dust.

Scattering the ashes with his foot, he then moved on along the path through campus, all senses alert. That was when he caught sight of two figures walking through the darkened campus towards him. He couldn't hear what they said but when one broke off, obviously annoyed, and kept coming towards him while the other stopped, he figured out who they were.

Stepping into the shadows, he waited until he passed to speak.

"You and your buddy should know better than to be out at night, Army Boy."

Riley paused and turned to regard Xander as he stepped partially out of the shadows. They stood like that for a long moment then the ex-commando said, "So should you."

"Touché," said Xander. He then looked critically at the other male and asked, "What did he do to piss you off?"

"You didn't hear?"

"I don't eavesdrop unless it's unavoidable or required. And you can tell me to stay the hell out of your business, just so you know."

"Thanks," said Riley. He then sighed and ran a hand back through his hair. "Buffy doesn't love me."

Xander blinked then took a step forward out of the shadows, snarling, "Bullshit!"

Riley raised a hand, forestalling anything else the half devil might say. "Hear me out," he said.

"Alright. And then you'll hear _me_ out."

The ex-commando nodded in agreement then began to speak.

"I'm not saying that she doesn't _love_ me – I know she does. Just…I know that it's not forever. I'm not the guy for her." He frowned as he continued, "She gets stronger every day and every day I feel like she gets just a little bit further out of my reach. Like I can't touch her anymore."

He fell silent, looking down at his feet then.

"Your turn."

Xander nodded and said, "Okay, first off, I get it. You're feeling left behind because you feel useless. Because you can't do what Buffy or Faith can."

"How the hell do you get that?" snapped Riley.

Blue eyes looked at him incredulously for that statement.

"I wasn't _always_ a half devil," growled Xander. "I was average, normal – _human_. Then a prayer made to a god of chaos changed all that. So don't tell me I don't get how it feels to be useless!"

He shook his head, white hair falling into his eyes, as he hissed out, "There are days when I still get that useless feeling. Because even with all I can do I know that there's more. I haven't even begun to unlock the things I can do and I'm starting to lose the way to. Memories I have of the guy that possessed me are fading, have been for a while now. Soon they'll be nothing but memories of my own."

As Riley opened his mouth, he cut him off by speaking again.

"And do you _know_ how lucky you are? Before all this I'd have given anything – _anything_ – to have Buffy look at me the way she looks at you. Yeah, she may not love you like she did Angel – hell, she's _never_ going to love someone like that again. But she loves you the way she _loves you_. It's there, it's real, it's true."

Riley stared at him for a moment then breathed, "You loved her."

"Still do. Hell, I skateboarded right into a railing the moment I saw her," said Xander with a sad smile. He chuckled at Riley's expression and continued, "Its different now though. I love her like I do Wills – like a sister."

"But…"

"Look, talk to her. Tell her how you feel and fix it together."

Riley frowned and asked, "And if we can't?"

Xander shrugged and replied, "Then you can't. Some things aren't meant to be. Some things are. Buffy and Angel I knew wasn't going to work from the beginning."

"Because of what they are."

"Yeah. But…don't give up so easy."

"Who says this is easy?" growled Riley.

"I'm not saying it's easy," replied Xander. "It shouldn't be. Love is hard to earn – and even harder to keep. I should know. The question you have to ask is 'is it worth it to try to earn it? Is she worth it?'" He looked at the ex-commando with a gaze as open as a well then, causing the other man to shiver. "Is it worth it? Is _she_ worth it?"

"Yes," he breathed in response.

"Then what the fuck are you doing standing here yakking with me?" asked the half devil with a grin. "Go home. Then wake up and go tell her she's worth it."

Riley stared at him for a moment then nodded and turned to walk off, hands in his pockets. As Xander started to head back to his apartment, he heard the other man call out to him. Turning, he asked, "Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"Hey, the Scooby Gang hangs together," said Xander. "Night, Army Boy."

"Goodnight."

Smiling, the half devil walked some distance away from the ex-commando – who still stood in the same spot with a thoughtful look on his face – and closed his eyes. He breathed in and focused then let everything go. His body shifted effortlessly into that of his devil form as he stood for a moment, scarlet eyes staring at the night sky, before he bent his knees and leapt.

Leathery wings caught the air and Xander grinned wildly as he soared into the night sky. The wind ruffled his hair and whistled past his armored form as he rode it above the sleeping humanity and waking nightlife of Sunnydale.

In the air he could forget everything for just a little while. Riley and Buffy, Joyce, whatever new Big Bad would be coming next.

Nothing could touch him in the air.

There he was free.

For just a little while.

Hours later he made his way back to his apartment, carefully landing in his devil form outside the door. It took a moment for the armor to fade and he unlocked the door as the last of it slipped away.

He tossed his stake on the couch as he passed it and pulled off the black muscle shirt he'd thrown on as he nudged open the bedroom door. As it fell to the floor, he paused to stare at the creature lying in his bed by the light of the moon.

Faith was curled into a ball there, her dark hair splayed in a halo across her pillow. One arm curled in front of her, lightly clutching at the blankets that covered her form. The other arm was stretched out across the spot he's occupied hours before, palm upturned and fingers partially curled as though she were summoning him back to their bed. He slowly let his eyes wander across her face, which was relaxed in sleep, and down her back where the blankets failed to cover it.

Slowly he made his way over to the bed and sank down on the edge, staring at her for a moment. Then he reached out and carefully touched her face, as though she would vanish in an instant if he pressed harder.

"What did I do to deserve you?" he asked softly.

She shifted and leaned into his touch, dark eyes flickering open to look sleepily at him.

"X?" she inquired in a mumble.

Xander smiled and leaned down, kissing her forehead before he slid underneath the covers beside her. "Go back to sleep," he whispered.

She made a noise in confirmation then shifted around so her head was pillowed on his shoulder with one hand curling about his neck. He wrapped his arms around her warm body and pulled her close, leaning his head against hers.

"I love you, Faith," he whispered, knowing he wouldn't get a response from her but saying it anyway. "Always."


	19. A Praise of Evil

**Disclaimer:** BtVS and nothin' else mine. 'Cept the plot. Sorta. Eh… General Xander costume something else Halloween episode fic. Also note that some of the characters may sound a bit off as I haven't watched Buffy in a long while and am running off memory of what they sound like as well as fanfics. Chapter titles come from all three DMC OST's.

**Chapter 19 – A Praise of Evil**

"Does anyone else have a headache from looking at that thing?" asked Xander as he regarded the glowing orb Buffy had found the night before with a glower.

"Headache?" said Willow with a frown as Giles picked up the orb to look at critically.

"Yeah. It's kind of like someone's trying to drive a screwdriver through each of my temples and make them meet in the middle."

Faith leaned over the back of his chair then, arms sliding around his neck. "I don't think it's tha glowy knickknack, X. Yah've had the headache for a few days now, remember?"

"Not this bad."

"Well maybe it'll get better if we go now," said Faith. "We do need to buy things. Like food."

"Yeah. We'll go then unless you guys need us for research duty."

"No, no," said Giles with a shake of his head as he heaved a pile of books onto the table. "If this object is giving you a headache, Xander, then by all means, go. I'm fairly certain we have enough hands here to research it."

The half devil nodded and carefully rose from his seat, wobbling slightly as he got completely up. Faith caught his arm and mumbled, "Whoa, easy there, babe. Maybe I should take yah home and go shoppin' on my own."

"No, I'm fine," insisted Xander, trying to convince her, Willow, and Buffy all at once as they look at him in concern. "Let's just get out of here. I should be okay if we do that."

"Alright. See yah later, B. You too, Red and G." Faith waved as they walked out the door then turned to regard her lover with a stern gaze. "What's up, X? I know it's more than just some regular headache. Yah've downed half the med's in the 'partment in tha past few days."

The half devil sighed, rubbing his index and middle fingers into his right temple, and groaned, "I'm really not sure what this is, Slaygirl. Will agree that it ain't no regular headache though."

"Yeah, well, if it gets any worse, I'm takin' yah back home. And don't yah dare argue with me or I'll be carrying you _and_ the groceries back home sans help. Won't that be a sight tah see?"

Blue eyes blinked at her and Xander chuckled.

"Okay, Slaygirl," he said. "Any worse and it's home for me. Gotcha."

"Yah'd better get me. Now c'mon, there's a carton of ice cream at the store with my name on it."

"Your name? Y'mean I can't have any?"

Faith chuckled and kissed his cheek, purring, "Only if you're a good boy."

Xander grinned at that, saying, "Put a collar on me and call me Fido 'cause I am the best boy there is as of right now."

The dark Slayer laughed at that and, entwining her arm about his waist, said, "Let's get to it then," as she steered the two of them in the direction of the closest grocery store.

* * *

Xander, finally having had enough, roared to his feet with, "Anyanka, shut the hell up!"

The former vengeance demon (AKA devil) blinked, stopping in mid-prattle, then huffed and glared at him. She placed her hands on her hips then and started, "Now see here, Sparda…"

"_Xander_, it's _Xander_. Or at the least, Harris, for God's sake. Yeesh, yah'd think a several thousand year-old devil could get that through their fluffy little head."

"Why you!"

"Both of you please be quiet," scolded Giles as he breezed past the table they were sitting at. "You're scaring away my customers."

Xander winced and said, "Sorry, G-man. But she's not helping my headache."

Anya looked at him for a long moment then got up and began to move about the room, occasionally calling out a question to Giles. He just blinked and answered her before asking, "You _are_ going to pay for those, aren't you?"

The former devil looked at him for a moment then nodded in response before going back to mashing up what looked to be a dried newt with a mortar and pestle. She busily continued for a moment before tossing in a pinch of what its container proclaimed to be the ground up scale of a dragon then thrust the bowl at Xander's face. He took one whiff of the concoction – which was bubbling slightly – then arched a pale eyebrow at her.

"You really expect me to drink that?"

"It will get rid of your headache," replied Anya. "And stop giving me that skeptical look. This is a bonafide headache cure for devil's."

Xander continued to stare at her for a moment then shrugged and took the bowl from her, eying it seriously. Then he mumbled, "Well, it can't get any worse," before he tilted back his head and downed the concoction.

A customer just entering the shop turned scarlet and fled at the string of epithets the half-devil spewed out as he threw the bowl at Anya's head. The ex-devil calmly ducked the bowl and smirked at him, her arms crossed over her chest.

"See, it worked."

Blue eyes glared at her from under a shock of white hair and Xander snarled something in a harsh, guttural language that made her blush slightly.

"Now that's just _wrong_," said Anya with a shake of her head.

"I don't frickin' care," spat the half-devil. "Don't _ever_ make that shit again."

"Are you alright?" asked Giles as he reappeared, having gone to get a glass of water – which he handed to Xander. The younger man grabbed it and downed it all in one long gulp, shaking his head and hacking slightly as he did so.

"Fine. Though my mouth tastes like I swallowed the whole sewer system." He turned and glared at Anya then, snarling, "Bonafide headache cure for devil's my ass."

The ex-devil smirked at that. "Did I ever say it would taste like roses and fluffy kittens?"

Xander blinked.

"Okay, first," he began after a moment, "ew. Second, okay, I apologize. It works. Just…never make it again even if my head's about to explode from a headache."

"Very well."

"Glad we agree…whoa! What's the rush, Buff?"

"I have an idea of what's making Mom sick," replied the blonde Slayer as she picked up the orb, looking at it for a long moment. "The guard who found this went crazy overnight."

Anya and Willow, who had moved to look over her shoulders at it, jumped back then and Xander arched an eyebrow. Buffy sighed in response and frowned at them.

"It won't hurt us. I had it with me all night and I'm fine."

"That's reassuring," said Xander, leaning on the table. "Now what's the what, Buff?"

"Faith would get annoyed if she knew you were stealing her trademarked phrases," said Willow with a smile as she sat next to her best friend. Blue eyes twinkled at her as Xander chuckled.

"Nah, she thinks it's amusing. Anyway, on to the story, Buff."

The blonde nodded then spoke.

"The guard mentioned something about it coming after me through my family. I just don't know who or what?"

Xander's expression darkened and he stated with a slight growl, "And you think it's trying to come through Mrs. S."

Buffy nodded slowly and the half-devil rose, both hands splayed on the table as he looked at her with a cold stare.

"I'm going with you. And if we find out something's really hurting Mrs. S…"

"We're going to kill them," finished Buffy coldly.

"Yeah," growled Xander, eyes flickering with scarlet. "We're gonna kill 'em."

"Finding them first would be a good idea," interrupted Anya, arms crossed again as she stepped into Xander's line of sight. "Which means you need to find out who or what is doing it first."

"Bring out the books!" proclaimed Xander as he spun away from the table. "We'll research until our eyes fall out!"

"Or she could just try an unveiling spell that will let her see the spells other have cast."

The half-devil paused in mid-step and turned slowly to regard Anya with a serious blue gaze.

"Research party pooper."

The ex-devil rolled her eyes then smiled as Giles spoke up. "That might very well work. All spells leave a signature not visible to the human eye."

Buffy frowned, biting her bottom lip, then nodded, saying, "I'll try it. Though Xander, Wills…can you research anyway? Just in case it's something else?"

Two heads nodded in response and Willow said, "Of course, Buffy."

"Yeah," echoed Xander. "If we find anything, we'll give you a ring."

"Thanks." The blonde Slayer then turned to Anya and said, "What do I need?"

The ex-devil looked questioningly at Giles, who frowned for a moment then nodded. She then grabbed a box and led Buffy away from the table to a shelf full with powders as Xander and Willow went after the books.

* * *

As afternoon approached and they got nowhere in their research, Xander's headache slowly began to return. He finally gave up trying to read when his vision went blurry and staggered into the back to lay down. A worried Willow offered to call Faith at work but he convinced her not too, saying that he was fine.

The Wicca flipped a page then looked up as she heard the couch he was laying on in the training room creak in reaction to him shifting. She then glanced at Giles, who looked briefly at her before handing a customer their bag of purchases and telling them to have a nice day. He then smiled at her and said, "He'll be fine, Willow. If anything, he's resilient."

"I know but…I've worried about him since all this happened." She bit her lip and said, "Sometimes…sometimes I wonder if I know him anymore. I-I mean, we haven't really…talked…or hung out since that Halloween."

"We've all been busy," said Giles. He then smiled reassuringly at her and continued, "Once we figure out this situation, perhaps you should ask him to do just that."

Willow nodded slowly and said, "I think I'll do that."

"Good, good. Now…"

Whatever Giles was going to say was cut off by a short but piercing scream from the training room. The two looked at each other then practically raced for the door, charging inside to see what was wrong.

Xander was upright on the couch now, his fists clenching at the cushion on either side of him as he stared blankly forward. Willow took a cautious step towards her friend, breathing, "Xander?" When he didn't respond, she reached out to touch his shoulder, ignoring Giles' "Don't!"

The half-devil was on his feet in an instant, her wrist in one hand while the other gripped her upper arm tightly. She winced then looked up and gasped at what she saw.

Her gasp seemed to bring Xander out of whatever he'd fallen into and he shook his head then blinked. "Wills?"

"Yeah," replied the Wicca in a pained voice.

His hands fell away and he murmured, "Sorry."

She smiled and shook her head, saying, "It's okay."

"No, it's not." His head snapped up then and his eyes stared blankly off into space in shock as something clicked. "Oh shit!"

"What is it?" asked Giles as Xander ran back into the main part of the magic shop.

"Matter of life and death!" came the shouted reply. The two didn't move as they heard the sound of Xander buckling on his gun belt and grabbing his sword from where it had been propped behind the counter all day. "I'll tell you guys about it later!"

The bell above the door jingled and then he was gone, leaving the two of them to stare at each other. Giles frowned then asked, "Do you have any idea what that was about?"

Willow shook her head in response and he sighed.

"I suppose we'll have to wait then. I'd best get back to the register. Lord knows what might happen with me not there."

He rushed out, leaving Willow standing in the training room. She slowly began to shake and collapsed onto the couch when her legs were unable to hold her up any longer. Whatever was happening she didn't understand.

But when Xander had looked at her, his left eye hadn't been blue. It had been a color she hadn't seen in almost three years.

It had been hazel for a split second.

* * *

Xander rushed into the Summers house through the back door with a shout of, "Buffy!" Force Edge clanged against the counter as he ran past it into the living room, blue eyes searching frantically. "Dawn! Mrs. S!"

"Xander?" came a voice from the stairs and he turned to see Dawn coming down them. He was instantly at her side when he saw the traces of bruising on her upper arms.

"Who hurt you?" he snarled, lightly touching them. She jerked back in response and opened her mouth to respond then paused before closing her jaw with a snap. Instead of answering him, she just looked down at her feet.

"Dawn? Kiddo?"

"Why does Buffy hate me?" asked the teenager softly and Xander instantly pulled her into a hug. Her hands clutched at his shirt as he tried to reassure her.

"She doesn't, Dawnie. I swear, she doesn't. It's just…she's the Slayer. And she's supposed to protect people. Especially you and your mom."

"She doesn't treat you like that," sniffled Dawn.

Xander smiled and tilted her chin up so he could look at her.

"Yeah…but remember before I got the nifty powers? She was against both me and Wills helping her."

"Yeah…"

"She loves you, Kiddo. Even though she doesn't show it sometimes." He ruffled her hair playfully, bringing a smile to her face, then asked, "Do you know where she went?"

"I overheard her say she was going back to some factory to look for someone."

Xander frowned then nodded, saying, "Thanks, Dawnie. I'll be back with her in a jiffy, okay?"

"Okay."

He smiled and started to move back through the kitchen towards the backdoor when he heard her call out for him.

"Yeah?" he asked without quite turning back around.

"Promise you'll come back?"

The half-devil turned to look at her then and nodded sharply.

"Cross my heart, hope to fly."

Dawn nodded, smiling as they repeated something they'd done for as long as she could remember. He'd given her that response the first time she'd asked him for a promise and when she'd asked him why 'hope to fly' instead of 'hope to die' he'd replied that he didn't like that; personally he'd much rather fly than die. She'd giggled and agreed with him and that had been their way ever since.

He grinned then disappeared out the back door, taking off at a sprint that put him out of sight in a matter of moments. Dawn walked to the back door in time to see a dark, winged shape rise into the air and she smiled.

Xander had never let her see his full devil form – she guessed he'd always thought it would scare her. But she'd seen him flying time and time again late at night and had even caught a brief glimpse once when he'd playfully flown Buffy home.

So she watched from the door until he went out of sight, murmuring, "Happy flying, Xander," before she ducked back inside and closed the door.

* * *

"Just noticed something. You have superpower. That is so cool! Can you fly?"

"No," snarled a dark, growling voice as the Beast threw Buffy across the chamber. A winged figure as equally dark dropped from somewhere amongst the rafters and caught the blonde Slayer before she hit the ground. "But I can," finished Xander as he landed, carefully setting Buffy back on her feet.

"Xan-der?" breathed the Slayer. "What…what are you doing here?"

"I had an epiphany," replied the half-devil, his scarlet gaze resting on the blonde woman in the red dress across the room. "I'll tell you about it later. Now who's the broad?"

A blonde eyebrow arched in response then she sighed, "I don't know. But she's strong."

"So noted. Now get the guy tied to the chair and get out. I'll handle her."

The Beast laughed as she heard him, saying, "You think _you_ can defeat me, devil-boy?"

"I can damn well try, woman. Buffy, _move!_"

Xander leapt forward with a roar then, tackling the Beast and sending the both of them crashing through two concrete columns. Buffy started to move after them to help her friend then ran towards the monk, lifting him out of his chair.

"Hey!" she heard the woman yell. "Hands off my holy man!" Then she was out the window and falling.

"Uh-uh," responded Xander, grabbing her ankle and jerking it to the side from his sprawl on the floor. "Our holy man now."

The woman spun towards him in a rage and grabbed his shoulders, flinging him straight up. He crashed through the roof and snapped open his wings, blinking as the roof collapsed moments later.

"Damn."

On the ground, Buffy stares blankly at the monk as he tells her about the Key.

"We gave it form…molded it flesh…made it human." His eyes met her as he finished, "And sent it to you."

Green eyes widened and the blonde gasped, "_Dawn._"

He smiled. "We knew you would keep it safe."

"You put that in _my _house! My memories…my mom's…everyone's…"

"We built them…"

"Well _unbuild them!_"

"You cannot abandon…" The monk was cut off by a fit of coughing, blood trickling down his chin.

"I didn't ask for this!"

"She is…human. An…innocent."

Buffy blinked then breathed, "She's not my sister?"

"She doesn't know that," gasped the monk. He then gagged and sagged against the fence, eyes rolling slightly back into his head. Buffy lunged forward, grabbing the front of his robe and shaking him.

"Hey! _HEY!_"

"Buffy," came Xander's voice from behind her. She felt the clawed hand of his devil form rest lightly on her shoulder as he continued, "He's gone."

"No…I…Dawn…"

"I know."

"_What?_"

She spun to face him, surprise written across her face, and he smiled.

"I don't know," he replied. "I just…remembered." He shook his head, his spiked white hair barely moving in reaction. "I remember everything…I remember the way everything was before Dawn."

"So…nothing we did…ever happened? With her?" asked Buffy. "But…"

"_No_," said Xander, turning his gaze back to her quickly. He placed both hands on her shoulders then, shaking her gently as he spoke. "She's _real_, Buffy. Maybe she wasn't before and our memories of her…of the things we did with her are false…but she's still _real._ She's your sister no matter what she was before."

She stared at him for a long moment, tears gleaming at the corners of her eyes, then she nodded. As she wiped the tears away, she asked, "How…how are we going to…"

"Keep this a secret?"

"Yes."

Xander frowned, scarlet eyes gleaming seriously. He then shook his head and softly said, "This isn't something we'll be able to keep secret for long, Buff."

"I know," whispered the blonde. "But…just for a little while? Until I can figure this out…"

"Done and done. Now c'mon…the kiddo's waiting for you."

Buffy smiled at his nickname for Dawn then tilted her head back to regard him with a sad look.

"Give me a lift?"

Xander nodded in response and said, "Yeah."

* * *

"Be good, kiddo," said Xander, ruffling Dawn's hair as he turned to go. "'Bye, Mrs. S."

"Good night, Xander," replied Joyce as she headed upstairs, waving slightly at him.

The half-devil nodded then turned to Buffy, whispering, "Remember, she's real."

"I know," replied the blonde Slayer. "Now go home. I'm sure Faith is worried about you."

"Yeah, true. Better head in before she goes on a hunt for me."

"G'night, Xander," murmured Dawn, twining her arms around his waist briefly. "Say 'hi' to Faith for me, 'kay?"

"You got it, kiddo. Night, gals."

"Night," echoed the two Summers women as he disappeared out the front door. As the lock clicked shut behind him, Dawn regarded her sister with a harsh gaze.

Buffy winced in response and looked down at her feet.

"I'm sorry, Dawnie."

"You hurt my arm," replied Dawn snappishly.

"I'm sorry."

The younger of the pair sniffed and said, "Y'know, I have a theory. It goes like this: you're the one who's not my sister, 'cause Mom adopted you from a shoebox of baby howler monkeys and never told you 'cause it would hurt your delicate baby feelings." She looked thoughtful then and added, "And it does explain your fashion sense…"

"I'm sorry," repeated Buffy.

"Broken record, much?" snipped Dawn.

"You can't take an apology, can you?" snapped Buffy back, finally getting angry. "You've always…" She trailed off when she realized that there had never been an always, even though she could only remember when Dawn was there.

_But Xander can remember when she wasn't_, she thought to herself.

Sighing, she shook her head and said, "Sorry. I've…I've just had a really bad day."

"Join the club."

"Can I be president?" asked Buffy as the two sisters mounted the stairs.

Dawn shook her head and replied, "Uh-uh, _I'm_ president. You can be the janitor."

They felt silent then and only spoke again when they reached the top of the stairs, stopping at the same time to look towards their mother's closed bedroom door.

"What's wrong with Mom?" asked Dawn after a moment, tears evident in her voice.

Buffy looked sadly down at her for a long moment before tugging her sister into a hug, gently stroking her hair. Dawn clutched at her arm fiercely as she waited for a response.

"I don't know, Dawnie."


	20. Super Ultra Violet

**Disclaimer: **BtVS and nothin' else mine. 'Cept the plot. Sorta. Eh… General Xander costume something else Halloween episode fic. Also note that some of the characters may sound a bit off as I haven't watched Buffy in a long while and am running off memory of what they sound like as well as fanfics. Chapter titles come from all three DMC OST's. 

**Chapter 20 – Super Ultra Violet**

"She's a demon, damn you!" shouted Mr. Maclay, pointing an accusing finger in a nervous Tara's direction. Willow encircled her fellow Wiccan in a protective embrace at the shout and glared daggers in his direction.

"She is not!"

"And you're not getting to her except through us," said Buffy, standing with her arms crossed. She then turned and looked at Tara, adding, "We'll talk about that spell later, okay?"

"There won't _be_ a later!" snapped Mr. Maclay. He started forward, hand outstretched to jerk Tara from Willow's arms, but a very large sword blade suddenly appearing as though from nowhere under his chin stopped him cold. Slowly the man turned his head and looked up into icy blue eyes – though he swore the left one turned hazel for half a second.

Xander's lip curled into a sneer as he looked down at the man at the end of his sword and growled, "You _really_ wanna try that?"

Mr. Maclay stared at him in shock for a moment then scrambled back as the half devil's eyes flashed scarlet with a yelp. Tara's cousin immediately shrieked, "DEMON!"

Xander spun, jabbing Force Edge in her direction, his eyes blazing.

"Do _not_," he snarled with pure venom in his voice, "taint my name with that of scum." He then threw his free hand out to point at Tara, who was now being hugged by Willow from one side and Dawn from the other with Oz hovering behind them, and spat, "And she is not a demon by any means."

That stopped the cousin's shrieking in its tracks and she stammered for a moment before finally saying something coherent.

"Wh-what?"

Xander rolled his eyes and dropped his blade so he could look at her fully without it in the way. And because threatening things he couldn't slice and dice with his blade just wasn't as fun.

"I," he said loudly and pointedly, laying one hand on his chest, "am half devil…and I swear, if you shriek again, woman, I'll give you a better reason than me being _that_. Being as I am half devil, I can sense things of devil and demon nature's." He gestured at Tara as he continued, "She is completely and utterly one hundred percent human. With that little dash of magic thrown in the flavor the mix, of course. But not demon."

He frowned and looked around, saying, "Yeah, I'm pretty much the only supernatural presence here."

Buffy and Faith both coughed and glared at him, which he grinned at.

"Sorry, Buffster, Slaygirl. Yeah, did we mention they're the Slayers?" At the Maclay's shocked looks, his grin widened. "Oops. Guess we should've mentioned that."

Mr. Maclay stared blankly at him for a moment then gathered himself up, glowering at the half devil.

"Now see here, you…"

"No," snarled Xander, bringing Force Edge back up to bear on the man, "_you_ see here. You're gonna turn around and leave Sunny D and never come back. And you're gonna leave Tara with us."

"But…but she's…" began to stammer the cousin but Faith cut her off sharply with, "You say demon and I'll break your face. My hunny doesn't really like that word being used around him. Makes him cranky. And when he's cranky, _I'm_ cranky."

"Please," breathed Tara's voice suddenly, "just leave."

Mr. Maclay started to speak again but was abruptly cut off.

"She kindly asked you to leave," growled Xander, stepping up to block the Maclay's view of Tara. His blue eyes dug into the man as he added, "She won't ask again. And if you don't do like she asked, I'd be _real_ happy to throw you out."

Mr. Maclay glared at him then snorted, saying, "Fine. Take her."

"Uncle…" started the cousin.

"Leave 'er, Beth," growled Tara's brother Donny. He glared at his sister over Xander's shoulder as he added, "She's where she wants to be. With her own filthy kind."

Tara let out a little sob at that and Willow hugged her, muttering, "Shh, shh, it's okay." As his girlfriend comforted the Wiccan, Oz moved around them to stand beside Xander, his usually stoic expression giving slight way to anger. On the half devil's other side, Buffy and Faith didn't hide their anger at the Maclay's in their manner or faces.

Xander cast a glare at the brother then looked down at Tara's father.

"Well?" he growled. "Why are you still here?"

Mr. Maclay blinked then turned and left, motioning at his son and niece to follow. They lingered for a few minutes, both looking at Tara over the shoulders of her human shields. Then Xander growled and they fled, leaving the Scoobies alone in the shop.

Slowly, everyone gathered around Tara, who had gotten a hold of herself again and was smiling at them.

"Th-thank you."

Xander shook his head, a smile suffusing the grim expression on his face. He reached out and touched her shoulder, catching her eyes with his.

"You're a Scooby, Tar. We don't let things happen to our own."

"Damn right!" exclaimed Faith, earning a jab in the ribs from Buffy's elbow. "Hey, what the fuck, B?"

The blonde Slayer frowned and nodded towards Dawn, who was trying to cheer Tara up by joking with Xander.

"Impressionable young mind in the room, Faith."

"I'm not a kid!" snapped Dawn.

"Oh, yes, you are!" exclaimed Xander as he grabbed her into a headlock. "Noogie!"

"_XANDER!_"

* * *

"Biopsy?" repeated Xander, frowning at wall. "Isn't that surgery on the brain?"

Buffy's voice at the other end of the line was shaky as she replied.

"Yes. They said there was a shadow on her brain and they need to find out what it is."

"Jeez. Buff…if there's anything we can do, you know…"

"I know," whispered the blonde Slayer. She took a deep breath then and asked, "How's Dawn?"

"Kiddo? Worried 'bout your mom but otherwise okay. I ordered pizza and we watched the Death Star explode. Again."

Buffy smiled on the other end of the line and chuckled.

"Somehow I get the feeling you're going to be good with kids, Xan."

"Me?" exclaimed the half-devil. He scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Eh…I never thought of it. Not with…y'know."

"Faith being a Slayer and you being a half-devil?"

"Yeah…"

"I know. Probably won't ever happen but…I still think that."

"Er…thanks, Buff. I think."

She chuckled again then said, "Oh, the doctor's coming back. I have to let you go, Xan."

"No prob," said Xander. "Just give us a ring when you find out everything. Elsewise Dawnie might just sneak out to the hospital herself."

"Will not!" came the cry from across the house and the two chuckled.

"Yeah, I believe that for no amount of time," said Buffy. "'Bye, Xan."

"'Bye. Oh, and, Buff?"

"Yeah?"

"It'll be okay."

Buffy blinked, tears stinging her eyes, then whispered, "Thanks, Xan."

"No prob. 'Bye."

"'Bye."

There was a click at the other end of the line and the blonde Slayer hung up the phone before turning to face the doctor who came with news about her mother.

* * *

"Wait, we did _what!_"

"Sold Glory a Kohl's Amulet and Sobekium Bloodstone," replied Anya – who was now working for Giles – to Xander's question.

"A wha-huh and a wha-huh?" asked the half-devil.

Willow looked up and replied, "Basically it's two components of a spell…"

"She's going to summon Sobek," interrupted Anya.

"Which is?"

"Reptile demon."

"Didn't we fight one of those already?" asked Oz as he settled into the chair next to Willow.

"Did we?" asked Xander. "I know we did the fish guys…where was reptile demon?"

"I think the demon in the frat house where Cordelia dragged me was a reptile. Oh, and the Mayor," offered Buffy. She then shook her head and asked, "Okay, what does she need to summon this demon?"

Anya frowned then replied, "Some type of reptile. More likely a large one."

Xander sighed and rose, saying, "Anyone thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Zoo?" offered Faith.

"Zoo," agreed Buffy as she picked up a sword.

* * *

"Why does that look familiar?" asked Riley as he and Xander went on patrol.

"What?"

"The sheath on your sword. It's different but it looks familiar."

The half-devil frowned and tilted his head back slightly to regard the top half of his sheath. Dark scales glinted and he grinned.

"Oh, yeah," he said. "I figured it'd be a waste to let that big snake skin just get tossed out."

Riley blinked.

"You skinned a demon and used its skin to cover your sword sheath?"

"Trust me, I can remember worse from Dante's memories."

"Don't tell me. Just…_don't_."

Xander chuckled then growled, "Vamps," as he reached back for his sword.

Riley's easy manner faded instantly and he drew a stake in either hand, eyes darting around as he moved back-to-back with the half-devil. "How many?"

"Two. Maybe three."

"Fledgling's?"

"More'n likely. We haven't had an older vamp in town since Peroxide."

The ex-commando nodded then blinked as two very skanky looking female vampires appeared. "Huh?"

"It happens," said Xander nonchalantly as he bounded forward, unsheathing Force Edge as he went. The blade sang as it swooped through the air and cleaved one vampire's head from her body, leaving her body to crumble to dust. A stake flying through the air caught the other as she turned to flee and she joined her friend a moment later.

"Nice job," commented the half-devil as he retrieved the stake and tossed it back to Riley, who tucked it back into his belt. "Now…what the hell?"

"What?" asked Riley before he caught sight of something falling to Earth as well.

The two looked at each other for a moment then took off in the direction it had fallen as fast as they could go. It took them almost two hours to track down where it had fallen and dawn was starting to appear in the eastern sky as they approached the fresh crater in the ground.

"Looks like it up and crawled away. But what was it?" asked the ex-commando as Xander slid down into the crater to investigate the meteor, one hand gripping his sword. "Demon? Devil?"

The half-devil sniffed then snorted, growling in response, "Neither. Whatever this is, it ain't anything like I've ever seen. Or that I can recall Dante seeing."

Riley frowned at that.

"Crap. Should we investigate the woods?"

"Probably long gone by now. And there's a dead body at two o'clock."

"Huh?" He looked around and blinked before approaching the body of the mental patient lying nearby. Crouching down beside it, he dug a pen out of his pocket as he called out, "There's something in his mouth. Goo."

Xander approached the body with one hand over his nose, saying, "Stinks to high heaven, too." Backing away, he looked at the hollow meteor before he added, "We need to call someone."

Riley looked up at that then frowned.

"I can make a call."

"Military?" said the half-devil.

"Yeah."

Xander looked at him for a long moment then grinned goofily.

"So…aliens exist?"

"Demons exist," pointed out Riley. "And vampires."

"Now that," said the half-devil, waggling one finger, "is completely beside the point. Anyway, call the nice military men and ask them to come and look at our new pet's mess."

The ex-commando looked at him for a long moment before he pulled out his phone and started dialing a number.

"You," he said as he waited for a response from the other end of the line, "are a very strange person."

Xander just grinned and chirped, "Thanks a million, pal."

"And that just proved my point."

* * *

"So, it's a demon," said Xander in his phone, watching Faith as she jumped impatiently from one foot to the other. "Okay, that clears up some stuff. So how do we find it, Wills? And does the usual hack 'n slash work to get rid of it?"

"Ooo, hack 'n slash," chirped Faith, bouncing excitedly now. "Can I use yah sword!"

"Down, honey, down. Good girl. Now repeat that, Wills. Yeah, okay. Er…maybe we could use a tracking spell? Not without a piece of it. Damn."

Faith frowned and scuffed her foot across the ground, snapping, "C'mon, X! Let's just go hunt for tha damn thing and kill it's slimy ass!"

The half-devil sighed at his overeager lover then went back to the phone conversation.

"Okay, Wills, I got it. No, no, don't call Buffy about this. She's got enough to worry about right now. Me 'n Faith'll go after this thing…maybe grab Riley and haul him along with us since he was with me when we found the meteor. And, yeah, I swear we'll be careful. Bye."

Hanging up and tossing the phone into his coat pocket, he turned to the now scowling Faith.

"Now we can go," he said with a small smile.

The dark-haired Slayer stomped her foot and shouted, "'Bout damn time!"

"Oh, my beloved impatient Valkyrie…"

" 'Valkyrie?' " repeated Faith, a grin suffusing her face as they started walking towards the hospital, which was where they'd seen Riley and a handful of military personnel heading to earlier. "I kinda like that one, X."

Xander smiled, saying, "Thought you would. Now c'mon so we can catch Riley before he leaves."

It didn't take them long to cover the ground between where they'd been to Sunnydale Memorial and they got there just as Riley was jumping into a humvee.

"Yo, Armyboy!" shouted Faith, waving as she sprinted across the parking lot ahead of Xander. He caught up to her as she stopped near the humvee and shook his head.

"That's the last time I try to race a Slayer… Riley, man, find something?"

"We managed to trace the things signature here," replied the ex-commando. "But the trail stops in the parking lot so we figure it hitched a ride with a discharged patient."

"Discharged patient…holy shit."

Both Xander and Faith paled then shoved their way into the vehicle, the Slayer perched on the half-devil's lap as Riley quickly snapped off the Summers address to the driver and told him to make it snappy.

With a frantic ex-teammate, half-devil, and Slayer crammed in the passenger seat, the lieutenant driving the humvee put his foot to the floor and broke about eight traffic laws.

Faith was out of the vehicle before it came to a complete stop and Xander wasn't far behind her, freeing his sword from its sheath as the two of them ran towards the front door. Riley was right behind them and caught up with them as the Slayer kicked the door in, drawing a knife as she ran inside.

"B!"

"Dawnie!" shouted Xander as he entered the house, looking frantically about for the teenager.

"We're okay!"

The half-devil nodded at the muffled shout from upstairs and started looking around for the demon since there wasn't a corpse in sight. Riley started towards Buffy when she and Faith appeared from within the kitchen and asked, "Where is it?"

"Fell down the stairs and lost it," replied the blonde Slayer. She held a kitchen knife tightly in her hand. "It tried to get Mom."

Xander stiffened at that and his eyes flashed briefly red.

"Oh, yeah," he growled. "Motherfucker is _dead_ now."

"Damn right," hissed Faith, equally as angry.

Riley nodded stiffly then froze at a sound from the living room. As he moved forward, the Queller appeared behind Faith, latching onto her back. She spun with a shout, snapping at it with her elbow, but it didn't fall off until Buffy swiped at it with her knife.

As it started to skitter away, Xander leapt forward with what was essentially a roar and cleaved the thing in two with Force Edge. When the two pieces kept moving, he kept right on hacking until they stopped.

Breathing harshly, he looked at Faith, who said, "You killed it good, X."

"Damn right, I did," he growled before he turned to Buffy. "Are they okay?"

The blonde nodded, replying, "Yeah, I think so. Dawn caught it before it got Mom."

Xander smiled a bit at that, murmuring, "Good job, kiddo."

Buffy smiled as well then said, "I'd better go check on them," before fleeing upstairs, leaving the three of them standing in the foyer with the hacked-to-bits corpse.

Riley looked down at the pieces for a moment then sighed, saying, "I'll go tell them to run clean-up on this."

Xander and Faith just nodded, standing silently until he was almost out to the parked humvee. Then the Slayer walked over to her lover, wrapping an arm around his waist as he pulled her into a one-armed hug. Still silent, they stared at the stairs leading up, paying absolutely no attention to the clean up going on behind them.

Every thought was on the three people upstairs.


End file.
